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Harry Partch: And on the Seventh Day Petals Fell in Petaluma (LP)

by Harry Partch

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  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Limited Edition LP (180g vinyl)
    with previously unpublished bonus tracks + free download card

    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 (LP) via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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    edition of 500  95 remaining
    Purchasable with gift card

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  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    Limited Edition LP (180g vinyl)
    with previously unpublished bonus tracks
    Purchasable with gift card

      $9.99 USD  or more

     

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about

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 October 10, 2017

The Gate 5 Ensemble: Harry Partch, director; Danlee Mitchell, Michael Ranta, Emil Richards, Wallace Snow, Stephen Tosh

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New World Records Brooklyn, New York

Anthology of Recorded Music, Inc., which records under the label New World Records, was founded in 1975.

We are dedicated to the documentation of American music that is largely ignored by the commercial recording companies.

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