Partch "mechanics"

I was interested in asking Jon, and anyone else who might know, about
the "mechanics" involved in the production of the American Composers
Forum recording of the _Delusion the the Fury_ which I've been
enjoying.

I was happy to see that some people I know are playing on this
recording, including Dean Drummond and, especially, Victoria Bond,
whom I spoke to just recently, but didn't know she did this.

It seems to me this recording is a "reissue" of the "big" Columbia
Masterworks issue. Was that the big recording that "put Partch on
the map" so to speak?

But what happened to the copyright on the recording? Why did
Columbia not keep it (economics?) and how did the American Composers
Forum get it?

Additionally, how did the American Composers Forum get Sony to
release this, and, why not their *own* label?

(My guess is again, as usual, economics... they probably convinced
Sony into distributing this since they probably though it could be
a "big seller" which it probably is...)

Since I know Philip Blackburn and have been involved with the
American Composers Forum, and since I was even *in* Minnesota going
over the original Partch materials with Blackburn one fine day, these
issues are of particular interest to me...

And my impressions of the *music??* Well, it's tremendous, of
course, but I would like to listen a few more times before more
specific comments.

J. Pehrson

Yikes, finally something I know I know something about!

I'll try and answer somewhat in order of the questions, Joseph. I worked sort-of "hand in hand" with Philip during all of this...

{you wrote...}
>I was happy to see that some people I know are playing on this recording, >including Dean Drummond and, especially, Victoria Bond, whom I spoke to >just recently, but didn't know she did this.

Did what? Play in "Delusion"? How could one forget *that*?! As a sidelight, the recording sessions for Columbia (CBS) followed immediately on the heels of the production (the only one ever), and if actual details are desired of the sessions I'll just go ask Danlee - he was musical director for the entire project.

>It seems to me this recording is a "reissue" of the "big" Columbia >Masterworks issue. Was that the big recording that "put Partch on the >map" so to speak?

Yes, sort of. "The World of Harry Partch" preceded it, and had gained notoriety, but "Delusion" caused the biggest press splash because it got picked up in hi-fi/stereo publications, and also that the piece was done at the height of some of our most colorful cultural times, known to some as the 'hippy' era. It *is* a reissue, something I had fought for for a long time (through the Partch Foundation) and wasn't easy to make happen!

>But what happened to the copyright on the recording? Why did Columbia not >keep it (economics?) and how did the American Composers Forum get it?

Of the entire Partch recording legacy, the *only* two master tapes he did *not* have control of were the two Columbia recordings. They retained contractual rights, which passed to Sony when the latter purchased CBS and all their recordings.

>Additionally, how did the American Composers Forum get Sony to release >this, and, why not their *own* label?

The only way Sony would even agree to release it was on their 'special' line, in 'conjunction' with Innova (the ACF label). And it cost money to get them to release it. They did *not* do it out of the kindness of their corporate hearts, and even less so with any concern to having let one of the masterworks of the 20th century lay fallow (out-of-print) for over 20 years!

>(My guess is again, as usual, economics... they probably convinced Sony >into distributing this since they probably though it could be a "big >seller" which it probably is...)

No, it just took endless discussions to convince Sony it was even worth their bother! They didn't, and don't, have a clue to its value, and I doubt it is a "big seller". They also, in spite of being a corporate giant with big pocketbooks, managed to squeeze everything out of it they could. How do I know? Because I did some of the digital editing, in collaboration with one of Sony's engineers in New York, to correct some of the problems of the original issue!

>And my impressions of the *music??* Well, it's tremendous, of course, but >I would like to listen a few more times before more specific comments.

I know you've discussed your less interest in 'dramatic' music and more interest in 'abstract' or instrumental music, I can't imagine you could find a finer example of this then the opening 10 minute "Exordium". Functional as a semi-overture, it is exactly the sweeping harmonies of the Harmonic Canons near the beginning of this piece that I was thinking of, in light of the opening sections of Blect. Some day, some day...

And, by the way, being a part of that original "Delusion" production didn't mean that Partch necessarily rubbed off on the participants. Many of the 'players' went back into very straight music making after that, never again to be corporeal entities. But that is another subject...

Cheers,
Jon

--- In MakeMicroMusic@y..., "Jonathan M. Szanto" <JSZANTO@A...> wrote:

/makemicromusic/topicId_2111.html#2113

> >I was happy to see that some people I know are playing on this
recording, including Dean Drummond and, especially, Victoria Bond,
whom I spoke to just recently, but didn't know she did this.
>
> Did what? Play in "Delusion"? How could one forget *that*?!

****Well, when I spoke to her recently about my interest in
xenharmonics, she didn't mention she played on that album... And, I
never *knew* it, so it was easy to forget... :)

She *did* seem, however, on the overall to be supportive of
xenharmonics, but I never knew she was so involved with it or with
Partch.

As a sidelight,
> the recording sessions for Columbia (CBS) followed immediately on
the heels of the production (the only one ever), and if actual
details are desired of the sessions I'll just go ask Danlee - he was
musical director for the entire project.

****Well, that surely will be useful if I want to know more! Thanks,
Jon.

>
> >It seems to me this recording is a "reissue" of the "big" Columbia
> >Masterworks issue. Was that the big recording that "put Partch on
the "map" so to speak?
>
> Yes, sort of. "The World of Harry Partch" preceded it, and had
gained notoriety,

***Oh! Well, *that* was the one I was referring to, and which I saw
in the record stores at that time. I never purchased it then; I
don't think so much out of a lack of *interest* as a lack of *cash..!*

but "Delusion" caused the biggest press splash because it got
> picked up in hi-fi/stereo publications, and also that the piece was
done at the height of some of our most colorful cultural times, known
to some as the 'hippy' era.

****The funny thing, though, is that the actual writing of this piece
somewhat *preceded* the "hippy" era. It was really more in
the "Kennedy" era, no??

It *is* a reissue, something I had fought for for a long
> time (through the Partch Foundation) and wasn't easy to make happen!
>

***Got it

> >But what happened to the copyright on the recording? Why did
Columbia not keep it (economics?) and how did the American Composers
Forum get it?
>
> Of the entire Partch recording legacy, the *only* two master tapes
he did *not* have control of were the two Columbia recordings. They
retained contractual rights, which passed to Sony when the latter
purchased CBS and all their recordings.
>

****OH... I forgot that happened, which explains it. I guess I
haven't seen many "Columbia" recordings out of late! :)

> >Additionally, how did the American Composers Forum get Sony to
release this, and, why not their *own* label?
>
> The only way Sony would even agree to release it was on
their 'special' line, in 'conjunction' with Innova (the ACF label).
And it cost money to get them to release it. They did *not* do it out
of the kindness of their corporate hearts, and even less so with any
concern to having let one of the masterworks of the 20th century lay
fallow (out-of-print) for over 20 years!

***OH, that makes sense! So the American Composers Forum basically
did the fundraising for this "special project..." that the corporate
types viewed as a "money loser..." so they could "cut their
(supposed) losses that way..." Good for them, and Philip!

>
> I know you've discussed your less interest in 'dramatic' music and
more interest in 'abstract' or instrumental music, I can't imagine
you could find a finer example of this then the opening 10
minute "Exordium".
> Functional as a semi-overture, it is exactly the sweeping harmonies
of the Harmonic Canons near the beginning of this piece that I was
thinking of, in light of the opening sections of Blect. Some day,
some day...

****Yes, the "Exordium" is *haunting.* Incredibly memorable. Yes,
the opening of _Blect_ surely does pale by comparision. I was hoping
that would "set up" the rest of the piece with a theme, but the organ
timbre really does need a bit more "oomph."

I know the importance of openings, since I've sat in
on "adjudications" (I can't say I'm particularly *proud of that)
where the first few seconds *only* of a piece is played before
someone says "Next..." :)

>
> And, by the way, being a part of that original "Delusion"
production didn't mean that Partch necessarily rubbed off on the
participants. Many of the 'players' went back into very straight
music making after that, never again to be corporeal entities. But
that is another subject...
>

****Well, I guess Victoria Bond falls into that category to a
degree. But at least she still seemed *supportive* of xenharmonics.
It is a little surprising she didn't mention playing on that
recording when I got into a discussion of alternate tunings... hmmm.

JP

Joe,

{you wrote...}
>****Well, when I spoke to her recently about my interest in xenharmonics, >she didn't mention she played on that album... And, I never *knew* it, so >it was easy to forget... :)

One thing to keep in mind is that Delusion, being the largest ensemble he wrote for, contained a fair number of player for which Delusion was the *only* Partch experience. *Some* of the ensemble of that time were also on the "World of" recording, which came out of a concert at the Whitney, but that entire group was only with Harry for about 4 years or so on an infrequent basis. Unlike the group in San Diego which performed for about 15 years, and now Dean's group, which has had a number of the same players for about a decade.

>****The funny thing, though, is that the actual writing of this piece >somewhat *preceded* the "hippy" era. It was really more in the "Kennedy" >era, no??

Delusion premiered January 1969 at UCLA. Flower Power reigned, IIRC.

>***OH, that makes sense! So the American Composers Forum basically did >the fundraising for this "special project..."

Close enough description, yes.

>that the corporate types viewed as a "money loser..." so they could "cut >their
>(supposed) losses that way..." Good for them, and Philip!

Well, not even that: they simply owned the rights AND had physical control of the original masters, and had no interest whatsoever in releasing it. They just couldn't be bothered. So it took third parties to cajole, raise money, and do the work to get them to even release the tapes for production. Not exactly composer-friendly...

>****Yes, the "Exordium" is *haunting.* Incredibly memorable. Yes, the >opening of _Blect_ surely does pale by comparision.

Oh, Joe, I didn't mean that *at all*! I wasn't comparing your piece, especially in a negative light. What I meant referred to the use of common-tone bridges in chord progressions, which I believe occurs in Blect in the organ, and certainly was some of your Bj progressions that you posted earlier. One of the very coolest things on Partch's last canons was dual courses of strings, where one course will keep a constant pitch, and the other course has a ramp and a glass slide underneath the strings, so you can change pitch on half the strings. This is how he can swing back and forth between two harmonies with a common tone, and is one of (what I consider) one of his hallmark sounds. The other place where this happens is in "Dreamer That Remains", and also a beautiful section in the last version of "U.S. Highball".

So no disparagement intended on the organ stuff, only that those kind of harmonic common-tone ideas can also have correlations in instrumental resources, which I'm sure your ear will lead you to discover over time.

Yours stands on its own quite well, thank you!

Cheers,
Jon

--- In MakeMicroMusic@y..., "Jonathan M. Szanto" <JSZANTO@A...> wrote:

/makemicromusic/topicId_2111.html#2116

>
> Well, not even that: they simply owned the rights AND had physical
control of the original masters, and had no interest whatsoever in
releasing it.
> They just couldn't be bothered. So it took third parties to cajole,
raise money, and do the work to get them to even release the tapes
for production. Not exactly composer-friendly...
>

****OH! Got it! Actually, I've heard of this happening with
recordings before. So, essentially they do nothing about an
important recording, sit on their asses, and make it difficult for
*anybody else* to do anything with it. Wonderful!

What I meant referred to the use of common-tone bridges in chord
progressions, which I believe occurs in Blect in the organ, and
certainly was some of your Bj progressions that you posted earlier.
One of the very coolest things on Partch's last canons was dual
courses of strings, where one course will keep a constant pitch, and
> the other course has a ramp and a glass slide underneath the
strings, so you can change pitch on half the strings. This is how he
can swing back and forth between two harmonies with a common tone,
and is one of (what I consider) one of his hallmark sounds. The
other place where this happens is in "Dreamer That Remains", and
also a beautiful section in the last version of "U.S. Highball".
>

***OH! I get it... so that's how you get the kind of "neighbor tone"
sound up and down in the very beginning of *Exordium...* Thanks for
the technical insight!

>
> Yours stands on its own quite well, thank you!
>

****Thanks, Jon. Well, there's always room for improvement. At
least I'm *hoping* every piece is *better* than the last. (As you
know, it doesn't always turn out that way... :)

Joe

--- In MakeMicroMusic@y..., "jpehrson2" <jpehrson@r...> wrote:

> ***Oh! Well, *that* was the one I was referring to, and which I saw
> in the record stores at that time. I never purchased it then; I
> don't think so much out of a lack of *interest* as a lack of *cash..!*

I bought it because of a Colombia sampler, which was trying to create a cross-over market between classical and popular listeners. It had Partch, Reich and Riley on it, so that was my introduction to both Partch and minimalism.

Gene,

{you wrote...}
>--- In MakeMicroMusic@y..., "jpehrson2" <jpehrson@r...> wrote:
>I bought it because of a Colombia sampler, which was trying to create a >cross-over market between classical and popular listeners. It had Partch, >Reich and Riley on it, so that was my introduction to both Partch and >minimalism.

That little sampler still fetches interest on eBay, and the liner notes (by John McClure, IIRC) are pretty funny, in a semi-hippy-dippy style. I've got them somewhere in the archives, and I'll post the text when I find them...

Cheers,
Jon