Partch: “The Bewitched.” Members of University of...

Partch: “The Bewitched.” Members of University of Illinois Musical Ensemble, conducted by John Garvey. CRI CD 7001 (compact disc). The iconoclastic Harry Partch (1901-1974) lived just long enough for the times to catch up with him in the late 1960s, when his pulsating, jangling, percussive theater pieces struck a resonant chord with young hip audiences. While “The Bewitched” somewhat sardonically promotes ‘60s consciousness-raising a decade ahead of its time, today’s cynical listeners are more likely to respond to this exuberant score on its own abstract terms. Along with his battery of unique, home-built instruments-- kitharas, cloud chamber bowls, etc.--Partch also used a few conventional instruments, at one point setting them up in 18th-Century counterpoint against his own exotic inventions. This CD is a transfer of the 1957 world premiere performance; the fake stereo sound improves when heard in mono.