Bitter music : collected journals, essays, introductions, and librettos / Harry Partch ; edited with an introduction by Thomas McGeary.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Partch, Harry, 1901-1974.

Contributor:

McGeary, Thomas, 1948-

Series:

Music in American life

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Partch, Harry, 1901-1974.

Partch, Harry.

Composers--United States--Biography.

Composers.

United States.

Music--United States--20th century--History and criticism.

Music.

Genre:

Biographies.

Autobiographies.

Physical Description:

xxx, 487 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Edition:

First paperback edition.

Place of Publication:

Urbana : University of Illinois Press, 2000.

Summary:

Now in paper for the first time, Bitter Music is a generous volume of writings by one of the twentieth century's great musical iconoclasts. Rejecting the equal temperament and concert traditions that have dominated western music, Harry Partch adopted the pure intervals of just intonation and devised a 43-tone-to-the-octave scale, which in turn forced him into inventing numerous musical instruments. His compositions realize his ideal of a corporeal music that unites music, dance, and theater.

Winner of the ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award, Bitter Music includes two journals kept by Partch, one while wandering the West Coast during the Depression and the other while hiking the rugged northern California coastline. It also includes essays and discussions by Partch of his own compositions, as well as librettos and scenarios for six major narrative/dramatic compositions.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [465]-479) and index.

ISBN:

0252069137

OCLC:

45096425