Bewitched

For those who know their Harry Partch (1901–1974) would also know that Partch was truly an original. Not only did he set out to deconstruct the chromatic scale on which the whole Western musical tradition rested but dared to reinvent the wheel by building his own instruments that would accomodate his microtonal scales. Drawing heavily from his deep affection for the music-theatrical performance traditions of Greek theater, as well as those from Africa, Bali, and Chinese opera, Partch conceived of a contemporary American music ritual-theater where musicians not only play, but also function at times as movers-singers-actors. Such is the case of The Bewitched, where the instruments are the set, in front of (and around) which dancers “dance,” but where the onstage musicians also move and sing. This reissue of Partch’s 1956 masterpiece has been meticulously remastered from the original mono masters.