source file: mills2.txt Date: Thu, 22 Aug 1996 13:54:33 -0700 Subject: The Great Partch Debate From: Bruce Campbell My mama should have learned me better than to step into the middle of a brawl, but -- As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've been slogging through a three-week backlog of mail. I was tempted to enter the Partch fray early on with words of wisdom (I'll bet every party involved believes theirs are words of wisdom) but I thought that the battle would have been long over by now. It seems to be as acrimonious as ever, so here goes: 1) How about agreeing that restrictions on transcriptions might be eased up once there was a readily available body of "authentic" versions available on CD? It seems to me that the main objection is that transcribed works are standing in for the real thing. With the increasing availability of Partch on record and in print [Revelation, Li Po, 4-CD set, projected CRI release, publication of Bitter Music] it seems there's a market. Hopefully, there will be new recordings as well as re-released early recordings. Once a listener can refer to these there's less worry about a transcription completely misrepresenting Harry's work. [That still won't solve the corporeality problem, I know.] 2) In regard to the hording of the instruments I have the following story to relate: In 1977, when I lived in southern California, I found out that Partch's instruments were being kept at San Diego State. I drove down and spoke with Danlee Mitchell and told him I was interested in Harry's music and theories. He didn't know me from Adam but he gave me access any time I wanted to the instruments. They were kept in two big climate-controlled rooms. Well, I guess they were big rooms, but they were still plenty crowded. He let me in, then left me alone with them. I still can't believe that kind of trust and generosity. There was a big pile of scores in there, too. I was a dumb kid, though, and made poor use of it. It meant four hours on the road each time I visited, which meant I didn't get there very often, and there was more than a bit of a learning curve, so I didn't feel like I accomplished much while I was there. I came 5 times over a period of 3 months or so, then moved back east without a word. So, Danlee, if you see this, thanks for the opportunity -- and sorry I blew it. It was wonderful, though, to be allowed so near to something that otherwise could only have been legendary to me. 3) About synthesizer substitutions. Leaving aside corporeality and theatrical presentation, it sounds like it should work. What makes me wary is a recording I have of Yankee Doodle Fantasy done on synth. I've never heard any other version so I can't say where the fault lies -- I don't know, that is, if it's a bad representation of Harry's music or if Harry was having an off day -- but it makes me embarrassed for him every time I hear it (not often). If it was all the Partch I'd ever heard I sure wouldn't want to hear any more. But, then, I feel that way about Castor and Pollux, so what do I know? Bruce Campbell campbeb@cesmtp.ccf.org Received: from ns.ezh.nl [137.174.112.59] by vbv40.ezh.nl with SMTP-OpenVMS via TCP/IP; Fri, 23 Aug 1996 06:45 +0200 Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA27807; Fri, 23 Aug 1996 06:46:19 +0200 Received: from eartha.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA27973 Received: from by eartha.mills.edu via SMTP (940816.SGI.8.6.9/930416.SGI) for id VAA12113; Thu, 22 Aug 1996 21:46:12 -0700 Date: Thu, 22 Aug 1996 21:46:12 -0700 Message-Id: <2.2.32.19960823044428.00674840@adnc.com> Errors-To: madole@ella.mills.edu Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu