The Gate 5 Ensemble: Harry Partch, director; Danlee Mitchell, Michael Ranta, Emil Richards, Wallace Snow, Stephen Tosh
In late 1962 Harry Partch returned to California and began a project that would not only become the bones of a masterwork, Delusion of the Fury, but have a life of its own. In a too-small space within an abandoned Petaluma chick hatchery, Partch gathered the instruments he had designed and built--new and old--eager to once again expand the boundaries of his compositional fabric. He learned each individual part as he composed, establishing that it could be played.
And on the Seventh Day Petals Fell in Petaluma (1963-64, rev. 1966) was born of his exploration and assembled with that "minimum of players" over a three-year period. In spite of rough conditions and meager resources Partch's dogged persistence, along with the efforts of his dedicated assistants, eventually succeeded in realizing the 34 verses of expansional duets. With this album we revisit an important work and turning-point, guided by the original "Statement" Partch wrote for the first commercial release of the piece. Previously only excerpted, it is a voicing of his beliefs that transcends one project to illuminate an entire purpose. We also reprise exquisite notes by the late Bob Gilmore, who distills and explains the story of Petals so clearly and eloquently.
No one wants a dead reissue, so by digging into the archives, I am pleased to offer hidden gems. First, The Petals Sessions is an aural glance into the cramped quarters of the recording space, as composer and players labor to bring new notes to life, Harry himself giving direction. The montage ends with a "test take" by Danlee Mitchell and Michael Ranta that could have easily been a keeper! Finally, we present the original Verse 17. In 1964 Partch wrote two duets that used the Adapted Viola; by the time the piece was finished in 1967, he had excised them. The ending track--never before released--brings Harry back to life, playing and recording Adapted Viola for one of the last times. I was completely unaware of this recording until I examined the outtakes and it glows, fifty years on. That Petals ever came to be, like much of Partch's story, stands somewhere between determination and miracle.
--Jon Szanto, The Harry Partch Foundation
Includes unlimited streaming of Harry Partch: And on the Seventh Day Petals Fell in Petaluma
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
...more
In late 1962 Harry Partch returned to California and began a project that would not only become the bones of a masterwork, Delusion of the Fury, but have a life of its own. In a too-small space within an abandoned Petaluma chick hatchery, Partch gathered the instruments he had designed and built--new and old--eager to once again expand the boundaries of his compositional fabric. He learned each individual part as he composed, establishing that it could be played.
And on the Seventh Day Petals Fell in Petaluma (1963-64, rev. 1966) was born of his exploration and assembled with that "minimum of players" over a three-year period. In spite of rough conditions and meager resources Partch's dogged persistence, along with the efforts of his dedicated assistants, eventually succeeded in realizing the 34 verses of expansional duets. With this album we revisit an important work and turning-point, guided by the original "Statement" Partch wrote for the first commercial release of the piece. Previously only excerpted, it is a voicing of his beliefs that transcends one project to illuminate an entire purpose. We also reprise exquisite notes by the late Bob Gilmore, who distills and explains the story of Petals so clearly and eloquently.
No one wants a dead reissue, so by digging into the archives, I am pleased to offer hidden gems. First, The Petals Sessions is an aural glance into the cramped quarters of the recording space, as composer and players labor to bring new notes to life, Harry himself giving direction. The montage ends with a "test take" by Danlee Mitchell and Michael Ranta that could have easily been a keeper! Finally, we present the original Verse 17. In 1964 Partch wrote two duets that used the Adapted Viola; by the time the piece was finished in 1967, he had excised them. The ending track--never before released--brings Harry back to life, playing and recording Adapted Viola for one of the last times. I was completely unaware of this recording until I examined the outtakes and it glows, fifty years on. That Petals ever came to be, like much of Partch's story, stands somewhere between determination and miracle.
--Jon Szanto, The Harry Partch Foundation
credits
released January 1, 1968
The Gate 5 Ensemble: Harry Partch, director; Danlee Mitchell, Michael Ranta, Emil Richards, Wallace Snow, Stephen Tosh
And on the Seventh Day Petals Fell in Petaluma was recorded in 1964 in Petaluma, California, by Mike Callahan, and in 1966 in Venice, California, by Cecil Charles Spiller.
Original tape edited by Harry Partch & Cecil Charles Spiller. First released on LP as CRI SD 213 in 1968, and on CD as CRI CD 752 in 1997.
Original analog to digital transfer by Robert Wolff; additional materials by Jon Szanto.
Producers: Jon Szanto and Danlee Mitchell, The Harry Partch Foundation.
LP remastering: Paul Zinman, SoundByte Productions Inc., New York City.
Originally mastered by Joseph R. Dalton and Robert Wolff, engineer at Sony Music Studios, New York City.
LP Reissue - Liner Note Credits
Photos: Bruce Harlow, Petaluma, 1964, unless
otherwise indicated.
Front cover: Surrogate Kithara at the Petals
recording sessions.
Booklet cover: Excerpt and cover of score to
first version of Petals; Partch with Bamboo
Marimba I (Boo).
Bastard Partchiana font courtesy of Philip
Blackburn.
Design: Matthew Schickele
Original recordings and photographs from the Harry Partch archives used with the permission of Danlee Mitchell and The Harry Partch Estate, San Diego, California.
Special thanks to Jon Szanto.
All compositions published by Schott Musik International.
The original CD release of these recordings was made possible through the generous support of The Aaron Copland Fund for Music and private contributions.
This LP reissue was made possible by a grant from the Francis Goelet
Charitable Lead Trust.
CRI (Composers Recordings, Inc.) was founded in 1954 by Otto Luening, Douglas Moore and Oliver Daniel. CRI was dedicated to
the promotion of new music by American composers, releasing over 600 recordings on LP, cassette and CD over its 49 year history, New World Records assumed ownership of CRI in 2006, since which time its entire catalog has been digitized for streaming, download & CD-R purchase....more
