source file: mills2.txt


Subject: Partch's heir?

From: Steve Curtin <curtin@Ensoniq.COM>

All this talk about Harry Partch makes me wonder about some things...  

First off, if this keeps up maybe we should split off the mailing list
between partch@eartha.mills.edu and tuning@eartha.mills.edu :).  This very
entertaining and informative flame-war between Jon and Johnny is starting to
crowd out discussions of the subject in general.  Certainly Harry himself
would say that he's not the first person who ever did tuning, merely
following a very ancient and venerable tradition.

He's certainly not the last either.  This almost religious concern about
what Harry might or might not have wanted is fine for people wanting to
reproduce and sustain the body of work created by this amazing person.
However, what about living people making Just and N-ET music?   What about
current tuning theory and musical applications of same?  Who is Partch's
heir?   I guess in a sense we are.  I'd be curious to hear about where
Partch's theories have been taken and if any extensions have been made to
them, or any new music has been made using them.  Other Music is one group
that comes to mind.  Newband is another.