source file: mills2.txt Date: Thu, 22 Aug 1996 21:46:12 -0700 Subject: Individual Partch From: "Jonathan M. Szanto" Tunesmiths (re: Digest 815), - Neil - Don't worry, Neil, I never expected everyone to agree. I sometimes wonder in a case like this: is the argument not compelling, or am I a poor communicator (since I don't feel that writing is my forte)? Elitism? I think many of us have different definitions for that word. And as for "I feel it's safe to say": I am living proof, over the last few weeks, that it is rarely *safe* to say. Anyone remember Sir Larry Olivier in "Marathon Man" asking Dustin Hoffman: "Is it safe?". ===== - Enrique - Great analysis; you managed to whittle down to some of the essences. I would only make these brief responses... 1) Optimally, yes. 2) Yes, by induction. 3) a) I don't think I have talked much about recordings. I believe they serve as documentation, therefore if they document a dilution of Partch (read: transcription), then they document that dilution; if they document a valid performance, then they do just that, but are a poor substitute for a live performance. b) Yes. c) Certainly. d) In league with a). e) I haven't ruled this out, have I? When I win the next California Lotto, I will personally fund as many duplicate Ensembles as I can. 4. Key phrase you use: "as the composer intended", which to me is of paramount importance. A true sense? Probably, with recordings and videos giving but a taste of the total picture. 5. The $64,000 question... I just *know* that somewhere, someone is thinking that I am the Dr. Kevorkian of Partchiana. In my youth, I espoused a truly non-committal view of this. I am pondering alternatives, though none have cropped up just yet (see Lotto reference). 6. What about the fumes? Partch repair-persons getting high on the job, having kids with 7 arms (makes playing those wicked Chromelodeon parts easier...) -- where will it all end? (Is the 'plastics' another reference to Dustin Hoffman, in "The Graduate"?) Thanks for making me feel totally inadequate, posting in from CCRMA ! ===== - Bruce - Interesting thoughts on the recordings/transcriptions idea. The kicker was your last "won't solve the corporeality problem"; that does it for me. I would like to see the entire body of work represented in documentary form (i.e. recording, video, etc.) in terms of preservation. It would certainly allow knowledgable listeners the choice - "Ain't nothing like the real thing, baby...". (Man, we have *got* to get Sony to re-release the 2 Columbia albums) Thanks for your thoughts on visiting the instruments at SDSU. This was the atmosphere that most anyone felt during their time out here in San Diego . And what synth version of "Yankee"? ===== Thanks, all. Education, online... Cheers, Jon *--------------------------------------------------------------------* Jonathan M. Szanto | Come visit Corporeal Meadows . . . . . . . . Backbeats & Interrupts | . . . . . our little tribute to Harry Partch jszanto@adnc.com | http://www.adnc.com/web/jszanto/welcome.html *--------------------------------------------------------------------* Received: from ns.ezh.nl [137.174.112.59] by vbv40.ezh.nl with SMTP-OpenVMS via TCP/IP; Fri, 23 Aug 1996 15:19 +0200 Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA29426; Fri, 23 Aug 1996 15:20:00 +0200 Received: from eartha.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA29468 Received: from by eartha.mills.edu via SMTP (940816.SGI.8.6.9/930416.SGI) for id GAA13782; Fri, 23 Aug 1996 06:19:52 -0700 Date: Fri, 23 Aug 1996 06:19:52 -0700 Message-Id: <199608231317.JAA31769@cerberus2.Ensoniq.Com> Errors-To: madole@ella.mills.edu Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu