American composers have long struggled against the momentum of the Western European classical tradition and the prestige it has held in America's cultural life. "I did not want to have any stricture at all, I wanted to be completely free." So spoke Harry Partch, describing not only his own path,...
Harry Partch and his ensemble perform a dramatized account of riding the rails during the Depression on a transcontinental hobo trip from California to Chicago.
The Dreamer That Remains: A Portrait of Harry Partch
2.51972HD
The Dreamer That Remains is a documentary produced by Betty Freeman and directed by Stephen Pouliot in 1972. Here is the director’s original cut along with his commentary. If you’ve never seen Partch or his instruments before, this is the place to start.
The CBS LP of "Delusion of the Fury" came with a bonus album of Harry Partch introducing his instruments. Unavailable for years, this short film features this talk along with a slideshow of the instruments.
A daring fusion of current (circa 1960) pop idolatry with parallel (only a little more sinister) scenes of Ancient Greece. Based on the 'Bacchae of Euripides'.
Partch takes the viewer on a tour of his Chicago home, and plays his microtonal instruments. Includes his demonstration of how the soundtrack for Windsong was made. "Music Studio" is about Partch and the many instruments he invented for the performance of his music. This is, without a doubt, the...
