In many years of listening to the wild, wonderful and highly idiosyncratic and innovative music of Harry Partch, it was long hoped to see a performance of his work using the adapted and custom built instruments, which are fantastic to see as well as to hear, and that opportunity finally came a few weeks ago at the REDCAT and Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theatre in Los Angeles.
The Partch Ensemble presented the program "Bewitching Petals," which combines the names of two of the composer's notable works, The Bewitched, of which some excerpts were presented of the 1956 piece, and And on the Seventh Day Petals Fell in Petaluma, from a decade later also comprising portions. The other two works were "Listening to Lu-Tzu" by Ensemble leader John Schneider, using text from the great 8th -century Chinese poet, Li Po, some of whose verse was put to music by Partch in his early years of writing, this being the early 1930s, and "Parable of the Bitter," a brand-new piece by Daniel Corral, also an Ensemble member.
The concert was just outstanding with the phenomenal sounds of such instruments (Partch had two dozen of his invention) as the Chromolodeon, Cloud Chamber Bowl, Diamond Marimba, Drone Devil, Eroica, Gourd Tree, Spoils of War, Surrogate Kithara and the Zymo-Xyl, tuned to the 43 microtones to the octave that marked Partch's monophonic system. Because he eschewed Bach's equal temperament, the notes sound out of tune to someone not familiar with Partch's method, but attuning the listening as well as noting the frequent use of small groups, duets, trios and so on, as well as appreciating the heavily percussive nature of the music helps to better understand what was behind the thinking of this unique composer. A healthy sense of humor helps, too.
The eleven members of the Ensemble also frequently switched instruments, another unusual element of the concert and there were nine guests, some playing more traditional instruments like the bass clarinet, clarinet and piccolo, while there was a soprano voice, as well. The interplay, often very complex and compelling, drew this listener back and forth, up and down across the stage in a way not experienced with traditional concerts. Schneider's solo rendering of the Li Po piece was deeply immersive and powerful with his stentorian voice and the Adapted Guitar II sounding like a Chinese ch'in. In all, it was a truly memorable and unique concertgoing experience and a plan to perform all of The Bewitched next year is eagerly anticipated.
Of three discs by the Ensemble purchased at intermission, the one featured here is The Wayward, the fourth and latest of a series by the group on the small, but important, label, Bridge. Given Partch's years traveling the country, riding the rails as a hobo, and experiencing first-hand a subculture of Depression-era America that reminds this blogger of the homelessness crisis of our time, it is particularly striking to hear the music and the lyrics to such pieces as "Barstow," "The Letter," and, especially, the amazing "U.S. Highball," all composed between 1940 and 1955, with the former amended in 1968.
Also very impressive is "Ulysses at the Edge," dubbed "A Minor Adventure in Rhythm," and with a bonus impro version of the 1955-1962 work, to boot. There are various recordings of the pieces on the recording, but it is always interesting to hear those rearranged in various sequences, as well as the quality based on the recording environment, mastering, and other aspects, not to mention the technology of a given time. This album, like the others acquired, is beautifully played and recorded and the Ensemble and Bridge deserve every kudo for their impressive efforts.
One last word about the show that made it even more memorable. At the end, the audience was encouraged to go to the stage for the "petting zoo," seeing and touching/playing the instruments, with Ensemble members to answer questions. A friend that we sat with, Robert Portillo, works on some of these instruments and remarked that he'd never seen such engagement before at these "petting zoos." The 15-minute opportunity was a great way to end a stunning evening, with the memory enlivened by this and the other discs brought back from the performance.
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