Holdings Fine Arts and Applied Arts School of Music Harry Partch Estate Archive Finding Aid Holdings Fine Arts and Applied Arts School of Music Harry Partch Estate Archive Finding Aid By Tom McGeary, Noah Lenstra, Elizabeth Surles and Scott Schwartz
Title: Harry Partch Estate Archive, 1918-1991
ID: 12/5/45
Primary Creator: Partch, Harry (1901-1974)
Extent: 6.5 cubic feet
Arrangement:
Organized into four series:
Series 1) Writings, 1937-1972. Series 1 is organized into two sub-series: sub-series 1) Writings on Musical Composition and sub-series 2) Lecture Texts, Essays, Drafts, Illustrations, and Statements.
Series 2) Personal Papers, 1930-2001. Series 2 is organized into three sub-series: sub-series 1) Correspondence, sub-series 2) Personal and Financial Records, and sub-series 3) Scrapbooks.
Series 3) Music Score Manuscripts, 1930-1972.
and Series 4) Films, Tapes, and Photographs, ca. 1948-1974. Series 4 is arranged into three sub-series: sub-series 1) 16-mm Films, sub-series 2) Photographs, and sub-series 3) 1/4" Reel to Reel Tapes.
Each series, except for 3, is arranged alphabetically by folder title.
Date Acquired: 04/01/2008. More info below under Accruals.
Subjects: Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), Cage, John (1912-1992), Composers, Compositions-Music, Films, Fulbright Awards, Guggenheim Foundation, Instrumental music, Interviews, Manuscripts, Music, School of, Music Composition, Rockefeller Foundation, University of Illinois
Formats/Genres: Audio-Visual Material, Correspondence, Experimental Music, Librettos, Papers, Photographs, Scrapbooks, Sheet music
Languages: English
Consists of Harry Partch's personal papers, musical scores, films, tapes and photographs documenting his career as a composer, writer, and producer. Of special note are the scrapbooks in series 2 that contain newspaper and magazine articles about Partch and his music. Of note are Partch's original manuscripts, featuring his microtonal music system, including: The Bewitched, The Delusion of the Fury, Oedipus, Revelation in the Courthouse Park, US Highball, and Water! Water!. Also included is correspondence between Partch and Lou Harrison, Benjamin Johnston, John Cage, John Garvey, and Nicholas Slonimsky.
Born in Oakland, CA in 1901, Harry Partch was an American composer, theorist, instrument designer and performer. He is best known for the work he did with just temperment: developing a 43 tone octave scale, writing pieces to showcase it, and building instruments upon which it could be played. His musical knowledge was largely self-taught and his interest in intonation emerged out of microtonal experimentation conducted on string instruments. Many of his thoughts on the matter are outlined in his 1947 treatise, Genesis of a Music.
By the early 1950s, he had established the Gate 5 Ensemble and record label and begun a musical partnership with fellow composer Ben Johnston that would take him to the University of Illinois in 1956, where Johnston was then teaching. While at Illinois, Partch premiered his large stage work, The Bewitched, as part of the Festival of Contemporary Arts and also composed and had performed the stage works Revelation in the Courthouse Park and Water! Water! He returned to California in 1962 where he completed his last project, the text and music for a film, The Dreamer that Remains before his death in 1974.
Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)
Cage, John (1912-1992)
Composers
Compositions-Music
Films
Fulbright Awards
Guggenheim Foundation
Instrumental music
Interviews
Manuscripts
Music, School of
Music Composition
Rockefeller Foundation
University of Illinois
Repository: The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Accruals: First donation came in December 29, 1992 directly from Danlee Mitchell. Second accrual in April 2008 came from Mitchell as well.
Use Restrictions: All usage permissions for materials from the Partch Estate archives that fall outside of U.S. fair use statutes must be approved in writing by Danlee Mitchell, executor of the Partch Estate. (August 4, 2017)
Acquisition Source: Danlee Mitchell, Harry Partch Foundation, San Diego
Acquisition Method: Donation
Related Materials:
Jean Cutler Theatrical Films, Audio Recordings and Papers, Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Kenneth Gaburo Papers, University of Illinois Archives
2005 Harry Partch Guide to the Collection, Music and Performing Arts Library. This collection finding aid's content has been updated and included in the Harry Partch Archive and Music Library Harry Partch Collection.
Photographic Subject File 39/2/20, Col 3-5.
See also record series 35/3/68 Music and Performing Arts Library Harry Partch Collection.
Other Note: Whenever possible an identification of the format of the music for each title (i.e., full score, condensed score, piano score, and parts) has been noted with the following corresponding abbreviations: FS, CS, PS, P.
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