If there were a melodious combining weight of substitute history committal to writing , Harry Partch would be its best - known writer . A hobo in his adolescent years during the twenties , Partch grew up to be one of the 20th century ’s greatest speculative composers , who created his own exercise set of 27 new instruments that could be toy in his especially - design symphony space . act upon by the tonic scale of measurement of Asian and aboriginal American euphony , Partch ’s pawn use the “ Just modulation ” scale , which is pen of 29 tones . This scale is a more direct reflexion of the tones we take heed in nature , and was used quite commonly in the West before the 12 shade weighing machine ( which you know from pianos ) was invented about 250 long time ago .
Partch ’s idea was to return to a more lifelike set of musical sounds , but alas all Western instruments are set up to practice the 12 - flavor plate . So he just invent his own new orchestra that used the Just Intonation scale , including instruments called the “ harmonized canon , ” the “ chromelodeon , ” the “ raspberry , ” the “ quadrangularus reversum ” and ( my personal favorite ) the “ spoils of state of war . ” Many of these instruments make sound that will cue you of Greco-Roman Chinese music , and in some cases African medicine .
basically , Partch imagined an alternating chronicle of westerly music , in which composer never desolate the Just Intonation scale , and legal instrument - shaper used cloth like bamboo in their work to produce a more Asian sound .
The best part is that you’re able to not only hear the alternate history orchestra , you’re able to play in it . American Public Media has an awful multimedia site devoted to Harry Partch , complete with Flash thingers that let you play Partch ’s instruments with your mouse or keyboard . I spent quite a while zooming all over the nernnerners and boops and KLARNGs of Partch ’s orchestra , and it was damn fun . extremely recommended if you want to get the speculative side of euphony - making . Image by Michelle V. Agins / The New York Times .
Harry Partch ’s Instruments[American Public Media ] ( Thanks , Wishnevsky ! )
Music
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