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Harry Partch, John Cage

The Music of John Cage and Harry Partch (LP)

Label: New World Records

Format: LP

Genre: Sound Art

Out of stock

Superb selection of historical recordings (1947 to 1973) of music by two undisputed masters of the American avant-garde.

** condition: EX-/EX- (small bump on the edge of the disc which does not affect play) ** A great compilation of historical recordings by the two essential composers of American avant-garde music of the 20th Century. Partch performs with his ensemble selections from "Eleven Intrusions" and "Li Po Songs" on recordings spanning from 1943 to 1977, while David Tudor performs Cage's "Music of Changes" recorded in 1953.
"Harry Partch and John Cage — both born in California, Partch in 1901, Cage in 1912 — are in their generation surely the central figures of the American experimental tradition. They met on several occasions, and Cage, despite an aversion to Partch’s artistic idiom, has always been supportive of Partch’s music. Partch, on the other hand, had no grasp of Cage’s art and even less curiosity about it. Both men are exemplars of an artistic and philosophic independence and individualism that has few peers. But their approach to music and to life diverged almost as widely as possible. Partch, with vitriolic and passionate condemnation, threw out all of Western musical practice and theory since ancient Greece and set about to forge a wholly new system, with its own scales, melodic and harmonic conventions, instruments, and concert occasions. Cage, more good-naturedly but with equal iconoclasm, divested music first of its focus on pitch, then of countable time, and finally of choice. He launched the principle of indeterminacy in music and has remained its severest practitioner."

Details
Cat. number: NW 214
Year: 1978
Notes:
Gatefold jacket with extra page pasted inside. On the center labels of this version, "SIDE 2" is printed in all caps, and "Side 1" "Stereo" and "Mono" are not. Tracks A1 to A3 and A8 from Eleven Intrusions. Tracks A4 to A7 from Li Po Songs. Tracks A1 to A3 and A8 recorded in 1950 in Gualala, Cal. Tracks A4 to A7 recorded 1947 in Madison, Wis., remastered 1962. Track A9 recorded 1973 in San Diego. Tracks B1 and B2 recorded March 23, 1953, University of Illinois at Urbana; previously unreleased.