Bookmark this page or copy and paste URL to Email message Harry Partch Collection 1956-1962MS 479
Biographical NoteHarry Partch was born on Jun 24, 1901 in Oakland, California. Partch is renowned as one of the 20th century’s most innovative American classical composers. He was one of the first composers in that century to extensively work with microtonal scales, which he wrote exclusively for his custom-made instruments that he built himself. Both of Partch’s parents were Presbyterian missionaries that lived in China and fled that region of the world after the Boxer Rebellion. His family relocated to Oakland, California where Partch was born. Partch’s parents continued to live as missionaries, which resulted in the family relocating numerous times throughout Partch’s childhood, often in small remote towns located in Arizona, California, and New Mexico. In these small, isolated parts of the country Partch was exposed to various cultures and their music. Partch began to compose music at an early age using standard western tunings. However, he became frustrated by the limited structure of these tunings and began to develop his own methods of tuning which he performed on instruments that he created himself. Partch composed numerous operas, concertos, and various other musical projects using his tunings and instruments exclusively. In the late 1950’s Partch started his own record label, Gate 5 Records, to release recordings of his works and to generate income. Near the end of his life Columbia Records made recordings of his work which resulted in his music being exposed to a wider audience. Partch died on September 3, 1974 in San Diego, California. Scope and Content NoteThis collection is comprised of photographs of instruments and opera rehearsals and phonograph recordings. The bulk of the photographic materials detail the handmade instruments that Partch created. The phonograph recordings are comprised of recordings ranging between 1956-1962, self-released on Partch’s Gate 5 Records. The collection consists of black and white photographs of varying sizes as well as seven 12” phonographic LP’s and one 10” phonograph. May of the phonographs are autographed by Harry Partch, some with a personalized and dated inscription. ArrangementThis collection is organized into 2 SeriesRestrictionsRestrictionsThere are no restrictions on this collection CopyrightIt is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Arizona Board of Regents for the University of Arizona, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright. Access TermsPersonal Name(s) Partch, Harry, 1901-1974 Subject(s) 20th-century composers Beat generation Microtonal music Music--20th century Performing arts - United States Administrative InformationCredit LineHarry Partch Collection (MS 479). Special Collections, University of Arizona Libraries.. Container List
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