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Seventeen
Lyrics by Li Po (1930-1933)
text from Shigeyoshi Obata: The Works
of
Li Po, the Chinese Poet
--- for adapted viola & intoning voice
Two
Psalms (1931) for
The Lord is My Shepherd (1931)
for adapted viola & intoning voice
By the Rivers of Babylon (1931/41) originally for adapted viola & intoning
voice; kithara
& chromelodeon added in 1955
The
Potion Scene
(from
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet)
(1931/1955)
originally for adapted
viola & intoning voice; chromelodeon, kithara,
bass marimba,
marimba eroica & two high female voices added
in 1955
The
Wayward texts by Harry Partch
Barstow (1941/1954/1967) originally
adapted guitar & voice; rewritten for two voices,
surrogate kithara, chromelodeon, diamond marimba
& boo in 1955
San Francisco (1943) for two baritones, adapted
viola, kithara & chromelodeon
The Letter (1943) for intoning voice,
kithara, harmonic canon,surrogate kithara,
diamond marimba,
bass marimba (There was an earlier version which has been lost)
U.S. Highball (1943/1955) originally for
voice, adapted guitar, kithara &
chromelodeon; rewritten in 1955 for "Subjective" Voice
(Tenor-baritone), one or more
"Objective" voices (mostly)
baritone, kithara, surrogate kithara, two harmonic canons,
chromelodeon, diamond marimba, boo, spoils of war, cloud
chamber bowls, bass
marimba, & bloboy
Yankee
Doodle Fantasy (1944) for soprano, tin
flutes, tin oboe, flex-a-tones &
chromelodeon
Dark
Brother
(1942-3) text
from Thomas Wolfe: God's Lonely Man --- for intoning voice,
chromelodeon, adapted viola & kithara; bass
marimba was added later
Two
Settings from Joyce's Finnegan's Wake (1944)
for soprano,
kithara & two flutes
Isobel
Annah the Allmaziful
"I'm
very happy to be telling you about this..." (1945) text from
broadcast transcription of glider pilot Warren Ward --- for soprano,
baritone, kithara &
Indian drum; score has been lost
Two
Studies on Ancient Greek Scales (1946)
originally for harmonic canon;
bass
marimba added later
Eleven Intrusions(1949-50)
Nos. 1 & 2
are Two
Studies on Ancient Greek Scales
3. The Rose text
by Ella Young --- for intoning voice, guitar & diamond marimba
4.
The Crane
text by Tsuryuki-Waley --- for intoning voice,
guitar & diamond marimba
5.
The Waterfall text
by Ella Young --- for intoning voice, guitar & diamond marimba
6.
The Wind text
by Ella Young/Lao-tze --- for intoning
voice, harmonic canon & bass
marimba
7.
The Street text
by Willard Motley --- for intoning voice, harmonic canon & bass
marimba
8. Lover text
by George Leite --- for intoning voice,
soprano, two adapted guitars, cloud
chamber bowls & bass marimba
9.
Soldiers---War---Another War text by Ungaretti --- for
intoning voice, harmonic canon,
adapted guitar, diamond marimba cloud chamber bowls & bass marimba
10.
Vanity text by Ungaretti --- for intoning voice and three adapted
guitars
11. Cloud-Chamber
Music with
Cancion de los Muchachos
from the Zuni Indians --- for
intoning voice, adapted viola, two adapted guitars, kithara, diamond marimba,
cloud
chamber bowls, bass marimba, deer-hoof rattle & chorus of musicians
Ring
Around the Moon (1949-1950) text by Harry Partch --- for
baritone, harmonic
canon, two adapted guitars, kithara, chromelodeon,
diamond marimba, cloud chamber
bowls, bass marimba, marimba eroica, cymbal
Oedipus(1950/1952-4/1967) text from
play by Sophocles; first version: libretto
adapted from William Butler Yeats; 2nd & 3rd versions: libretto by
Harry Partch --- for bass
(Oedipus), bass-baritone (Tiresias and the
Herdsman), low soprano (Jocasta),
tenor-baritone (Chorus Spokesman), chorus of six sopranos, clarinet, bass
clarinet,
adapted viola, adapted cello, two adapted guitars, double bass, kithara, two
harmonic
canons, two chromelodeons, cloud chamber
bowls, gourd tree, cone gongs, diamond
marimba, bass marimba & marimba eroica
Introduction
Opening Scene
First Chorus
Tiresias Scene
Second Chorus
Creon Scene
Jocasta Scene
Incidental Music
Third Chorus
Messenger Scene
Fourth Chorus
Herdsman Scene
Oedipus Scene
Fifth Chorus
Instrumental Commentary
Antiphony
Exit Oedipus: Dance Pantomime
Final Chorus and Coda
Castor
and Pollux (1952) for kithara, surrogate kithara, harmonic
canon,
diamond marimba, cloud chamber bowls & bass marimba (two players)
Even
Wild Horses (1952)
text from Rimbaud's A Season in Hell --- baritone, adapted
viola, adapted guitar, kithara, four harmonic canons, chromelodeon,
diamond marimba,
bass marimba, cloud chamber bowls, spoils of war, Japanes
temple bell
Two
Studies from Lewis Carroll (1954)
The
Mock Turtle Song for
singing-intoning voice, surrogate kithara & spoils of war
O Frabjous Day! (The Jabberwock)
for intoning voice, harmonic canon & bass marimba
Ulysses
at the Edge (1955)
alto saxophone or trumpet, baritone saxophone,
diamond marimba, boo, cloud chamber bowls & speaking rhythmic voice
The
Bewitched
for solo soprano
(the Witch), piccolo, clarinet, bass clarinet,
cello, kithara, two harmonic canons, koto,
surrogate kithara, chromelodeon, cloud
chamber
bowls, spoils of war, diamond marimba, boo, bass marimba, marimba eroica, chorus of
musicians & approximately ten dancers
Prologue. The Lost Musicians Mix Magic
Scene 1. Three Undergraduates Become Transfigured in a Hong Kong Music Hall
Scene 2. Exercises in Harmony and Counterpoint Are Tried in a Court of
Ancient
Ritual
Scene 3. The Romancing of a Pathological Liar Comes to an Inspired End
Scene 4. A Soul Tormented by Contemporary Music Finds a Humanizing
Alchemy
Scene 5. Visions Fill the Eyes of a Defeated Basketball Team in the
Shower
Room
Scene 6. Euphoria Descends a Sausalito Stairway
Scene 7. Two Detectives on the Trail of a Tricky Culprit Turn in Their Badges
Scene 8. A Court in Its Own Contempt Rises to a Motherly Apotheosis
Scene 9. A Lost Political Soul Finds Himself Among the Voteless Women of
Paradise
Scene 10. The Cognoscenti Are Plunged Into a Demonic Descent While
at
Cocktails
Epilogue
Windsong (1955) for film by Madeline Tourtelot
rewritten as
Daphne of
the Dunes (1967) for dance...for kithara, surrogate
kithara, four
harmonic canons, chromelodeon, diamond marimba,
boo, spoils of war, bass marimba,
cloud chamber bowls, adapted viola, gourd tree & cone gongs plus
pre-recorded tape of
harmonic canons, kithara, diamond marimba & boo---
Revelations
in the Courthouse Park---after
The Bacchae
of Euripides
(1960) a "double-tale" which alternates between The Bacchae and a
modern parallel, set in the "Courthouse Park" with text by Harry Partch. The cast doubles
between parallel characters.
The Cast:
Baritone:
Dion, Hollywood king of the Ishbu Kubu
Dionysos, ancient god of the Bacchae---the
same person
Tenor baritone: Sonny, young man in the Courthouse Park
Pentheus, young king of ancient Thebes---the same
person
Soprano:
Mom, devotee of Ishbu Kubu
and mother of Sonny
Agave, leader of the Theban Bacchae and mother of Pentheus---the same
person
Contralto: Korypheus, leader of the Chorus of the Bacchae
Chorus of eight women (including Korypheus) who
follow Dion & Dionysos
Chorus of four men
Cadmus, Tiresias, the Herdsman, the Guard, who must
speak rhythmically
Entertainers in the Courthouse Park:
Band: 2 piccolos, 3 trumpets, 2trombones, tuba, snare drum & bass drum
2 guitarists, 4 twirlers & majorettes, 8 clog dancers (4 men, 4 women), 4
tumblers
Other instrumental parts: 2 kitharas, 3 harmonic canons, double bass, crychord, 2 adapted
guitars, adapted viola, 2 chromelodeons, bloboy, spoils of war, diamond marimba, boo,
marimba eroica (2 players), cloud chamber bowls
& cone gongs (2 players), bass marimba
(2 players), drone devils (jaw harps), pre-recorded tape
Rotate
the Body in All Its Planes (1961) music for an exhibition of gymnasts
--- for most of the instruments used in Revelations in the Courthouse Park
Bless
This Home (1961) text by Vincenzo Prockelo --- for
intoning voice, oboe,
adapted viola, kithara, harmonic canon & mazda
marimba
Water!
Water! (1961) text by Harry Partch --- although this large music theatre
work was performed three times during 1962, Partch
considered it an unfinished work
And
on the Seventh Day Petals Fell in
Petaluma
(1963-66) for
adapted guitar, 2 kitharas, surrogate kithara, 5 harmonic
canons, 2 chromelodeons, bloboy,
koto, crychord, diamond
marimba, bass marimba,
marimba eroica, boo, cloud chamber bowls, spoils of
war, gourd tree, cone gongs, mazda
marimba, zymo-xyl, drone devils, gubagubi
Delusion
of the Fury---A Ritual of Dream and Delusion (1965-66) --- 2 acts performed
without a break
Act I based on an 11th century Japanese story---historical, legendary &
intensely serious
Act II based on an African folk tale---highly farcical
The cast (3
principals):
Tenor-baritone: The Slayer, in Act I
The Young Vagabond, in Act II---the same person
Soprano:
The Son, in Act I
The Old Goat Woman, in Act II---the same person
Bass:
The Slain as a Ghost, in Act I
The Justice of the Peace, in Act II---the same person
Numerous dancers/mime actors
Instrumental
ensemble: adapted guitar, 2 chromelodeons, 2 kithars, surrogate kithara,
5 harmonic canons, bloboy,
koto, crychord,diamond
marimba, quadrangularis reversum,
bass marimba, marimba eroica, boo, eucal blossom, gourd tree, cone gongs, cloud
chamber bowls, spoils of war, zymo-xyl, mazda marimba, ugumbo, waving
drums, Bolivian
double flute, mbira, ektara,
rotating drum, belly drums, gourd drum, 6 bamboo claves,
4 eucalyptus claves & rhythm boat
The
Dreamer That Remains---A Study in Loving (1972) text by Harry
Partch --- for narrating/intoning voice, chorus,
fifteen instruments
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