"In its final revised version (first performed in 1968), 'The Wayward' unfolds
as a cross-country odyssey inspired by the nine years during the Great
Depression that Partch spent as a 'broke-ass poor' hobo/composer. He
rode the rails and thumbed rides across the country, often as not to get
from one opportunity for musical employment to another, his
self-created array of instruments packed up and shipped on ahead. They
were hard times and it was a tough life. But despite that, it appealed
to Partch for its camaraderie of the rails and the freedom of the open
road.
"[...] As the scene evolves, the hobos' banter is accentuated by Partch's distinctive instruments: microtonal strums, plucks, and harmonic slurs from the surrogate kithara and large kithara II, bell-like tones from the cloud chamber with its chorale of suspended glass bowls, contrasting polyrhythms from diamond marimba and the enormous deep-voiced bass marimba, the clicky-clack of the multitubed bamboo boo II, and the melodious moans [...] of the modified organ Partch christened the chromelodeon.
"The huddle of the jungle camp gives way to the hawking of newsies: 'San Francisco – A Setting of Cries of Two Newsboys on a Foggy Night in the Twenties', with members of ensemble in the aisles brandishing the latest yellow journalism headlines of the Chronicle. Next came 'The Letter – A Depression Message From a Hobo Friend', with [...] the role of a slouchy, hatted narrator.
"It all builds toward what is by far the work’s most descriptive and lengthy movement — 'U.S. Highball – A Musical Account of a Transcontinental Trip, from San Francisco to Chicago'. It incorporates the entire array of instruments as well as narrative and song to form a truly great piece of American musical landscape painting.
"The huddle of the jungle camp gives way to the hawking of newsies: 'San Francisco – A Setting of Cries of Two Newsboys on a Foggy Night in the Twenties', with members of ensemble in the aisles brandishing the latest yellow journalism headlines of the Chronicle. Next came 'The Letter – A Depression Message From a Hobo Friend', with [...] the role of a slouchy, hatted narrator.
"It all builds toward what is by far the work’s most descriptive and lengthy movement — 'U.S. Highball – A Musical Account of a Transcontinental Trip, from San Francisco to Chicago'. It incorporates the entire array of instruments as well as narrative and song to form a truly great piece of American musical landscape painting.
"As the hero makes his way across the country, jolting along in an empty
boxcar, puffing 'over the hump to Cheyenne,' his thumb out for anyone 'goin' east,' Partch layers tones atop tones and creates polyrhythms
that clatter like the rails. There’s even a sarcastic 'praise the Lord'
hymn offered up at a Salvation Army soup kitchen. [...]" (Jim Farber. From the San Francisco Classical Voice review of the Partch Ensemble premiere of The Wayward. See here.)
1. The Wayward: I. U.S. Highball - Musical Account Of A Transcontinental Hobo Trip
2. The Wayward: II. San Francisco - A Setting Of The Cries Of Two Newsboys On A Foggy Night In The Twenties
3. The Wayward: III. The Letter
4. The Wayward: IV. Eight Hitchhiker Inscriptions From A Highway Railing At Barstow, California
5. And On The Seventh Day Petals Fell In Petaluma
No comments:
Post a Comment