Genesis of a Music
Genesis of a Music is a book first published in 1947 by microtonal composer Harry Partch (1901–1974).
Partch first presents a polemic against both equal temperament and the long history of stagnation in the teaching of music; according to Alex Ross, this is "the most startling forty-five-page history of music ever written". In particular, Partch holds Johann Sebastian Bach responsible for a downhill trend in music, holding him responsible for "the movement toward equal-tempered tuning, which meant that composers could not absorb the scales of other world traditions; and the urge to make music ever more instrumental and abstract."[1]
He then goes on to explain his tuning theory based on just intonation, the ensemble of musical instruments of his own invention (such as the "Surrogate Kithara, a struck-string, harplike instrument",[2] and the guitar with movable frets he used to compose Barstow[3]), and several of his largest musical compositions.
The book has been highly influential to succeeding generations of microtonal composers, including Lou Harrison,[4] Ben Johnston,[5] and James Tenney.[6] A revised and enlarged second edition was published just after Partch's death in 1974.[7]
Editions [edit]
- Genesis of a Music: Monophony: the relation of its music to historic and contemporary trends; its philosophy, concepts, and principles; its relation to ... and its application to musical instruments, University of Wisconsin Press, 362 pp., 1949. ASIN B0007DM7I8
- Genesis Of A Music: An Account Of A Creative Work, Its Roots, And Its Fulfillments, Second Edition, Da Capo Press, Paperback, 544 pp., 1979. ISBN 0-306-80106-X
References [edit]
- ^ Ross, Alex (18 April 2005). "Off the Rails". The New Yorker. p. 199. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ Gann, Kyle (23 January 2001). "New York Songs of the Open Road". The Village Voice. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ Payne, John (27 May 2009). "Harry Partch's Boxcar Revelations". Los Angeles Weekly. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ Aaron, Peter (29 September 2011). "Lou Harrison: Outsider Inside". Chronogram. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ Tabachnik, Sandy (17 April 2009). "They score! Composers John Harbison and Ben Johnston Have Left Their Mark on History". Isthmus. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ "Tenney, James: Song’n Dance for Harry Partch". Südwestrundfunk. 1999. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ Falkenstein, Michelle (16 October 2005). "Sonata for Chromelodeon". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
External links [edit]
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