action to preserve Partch residences

Richard Kassel generously gave me an early draft of his 1996
dissertation, _The Evolution of Harry Partch's Monophony_, on a
visit to New York to attend a rehearsal of Ben Johnston's
_Chamber Symphony_ a few years ago.

I happened to come across it just now while looking for
something else, and opened up to the page where Kassel
mentions Partch's 1929 12-tET song _While My Heart Keeps
Beating Time_, which for the first time I recently saw
performed live (by John Schneider at Microfest), and which,
as I've posted here a couple of times recently, I like a lot.
So I kept reading...

On the next page Kassel discusses Partch's move to New Orleans,
and the infamous _auto-da-fe_ in which Partch burned all his
12-tET manuscripts to dramatically mark a new beginning in his
life and work.

It prompted me to think of the following:

Those in the microtonal community who adore and/or revere
Partch's work might want to unite to take political action to
preserve the deteriorating building where Partch lived in
New Orleans, and where this act probably ocurred.

I don't recall the exact address, but it's on Camp Street
a few blocks south of Canal. The precise info is given
in Gilmore's biography, which I don't have anymore.

I saw the building a little over a year ago, and it's abandoned
and functioning mostly as a roost for hundreds of pigeons.
It's made of wood, with a brick front. There's a 2nd-floor
balcony down most of the side of the building, and a big
driveway next to it, over which the brick front extends,
like an archway.

I had the thought that perhaps if a large group of us here
signed a petition and sent it to the New Orleans city government,
they may buy the building and make a museum out of it, or at
least ive it some kind of use so that it's not abandoned and
in danger of further deterioration or even fire, and put a
historical placard on it.

Hmmm... perhaps we could do the same thing for the buildings
in which Partch grew up in Benson (Arizona) and Albuquerque.
Those two houses are in good condition and occupied, but there
is no historical info about Partch located on the sites.

The house where he lived as a child in Phoenix either no longer
exists or was moved across the street; a big apartment building
now stands in its place. There's no info here either.

But the building in New Orleans is in danger of disappearing,
and may be of more historical interest than these others.

Now someone who's good at organizing this kind of thing
should pick up this ball that I threw out...

-monz
http://www.monz.org
"All roads lead to n^0"

Joe,

--- In tuning@y..., "monz" <MONZ@J...> wrote:
> Those in the microtonal community who adore and/or revere
> Partch's work might want to unite to take political action to
> preserve the deteriorating building where Partch lived in
> New Orleans, and where this act probably ocurred.
>
> I don't recall the exact address, but it's on Camp Street
> a few blocks south of Canal. The precise info is given
> in Gilmore's biography, which I don't have anymore.

Yes, well, you might want to check a little more carefully. One of
the people that has written me from the Corporeal Meadows website is
a musician who lives in New Orleans, I sent him the address, and took
some photos which he later sent to me.

I don't believe the building is deteriorating, at least from the look
of it. I have to find the letter, if this subject is of interest to
you, because I don't remember all the details. There is still a sign
about apartments on the building, though I don't know that is what
its current use is. But the building, as of about 6 months ago, is
still up and OK.

> I saw the building a little over a year ago, and it's abandoned
> and functioning mostly as a roost for hundreds of pigeons.
> It's made of wood, with a brick front. There's a 2nd-floor
> balcony down most of the side of the building, and a big
> driveway next to it, over which the brick front extends,
> like an archway.

Are we sure we are talking about the same building? Since we are near
each other in physical proximity (a rarity on the list, or any list),
let's find a time later in the week to meet -- I'll find the letter
and photos.

> Hmmm... perhaps we could do the same thing for the buildings
> in which Partch grew up in Benson (Arizona) and Albuquerque.

Philip Blackburn and Bob Gilmore have tracked down most of the
residences that Partch lived in over the years.

> Those two houses are in good condition and occupied, but there
> is no historical info about Partch located on the sites.

Who, in the general public, would even know him? (I'm not saying it's
not a nice idea, but I thought *I* was a fetishist! :) )

> The house where he lived as a child in Phoenix either no longer
> exists or was moved across the street; a big apartment building
> now stands in its place. There's no info here either.

Gee, Joe, the house he rented in Encinitas is still standing, albeit
having been remodeled. You could start in your own (current) home
town! Not to mention Harry's last residence...

> But the building in New Orleans is in danger of disappearing,
> and may be of more historical interest than these others.

Check and re-check your facts and sources.

> Now someone who's good at organizing this kind of thing
> should pick up this ball that I threw out...

We're having a hard time gathering more than a handful of FAQ
entries, Joe! You want us to raise money and embark on a preservation
project of national scope? The California sunshine (in evidence
today) is really making an optimist out of you!!!

OK: coffee before the end of the week, and I've got a CD for you as
well...

Cheers,
Jon