Adapted Guitar II

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Recreation of a instrument designed by Harry Partch in 1945

Videos with Adapted Guitar II

  • Making Music: John Schneider

    Notes

    John Schneider discusses his composition “Listening to Lu Tzu” for Partch’s Adapted Guitar II. Together with Ensemble President T.J. Troy, John discusses the history and inspiration behind the work, the enhanced techniques applied to create this ethereal mood, and general notions about composing for Harry Partch’s Adapted Guitar II.

    This video is made possible in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

  • Listening to Lu Tzu (remote presentation)

    Notes

    PARTCH ENSEMBLE: PREMIERES Six World Premiere compositions created in 2020/21 as part of PARTCH Ensemble’s Commissions Project Text: Li Po (China, 701-762c.e.), trans. David Hinton Partch’s Adapted Guitar II sounds rather like an ancient Chinese ch’in, the venerated table zither strung with 7 silk strings, said to be the favorite of Confucius. Its sliding notes, harmonics, and subtleties of expression, famously inspired several millenia of evocative repertoire. In this modern setting, the large 1” plastic dowel used to stop the strings is—at one point—used as a bow to recreate the wind singing through the pines that Li Po so elegantly conjures in this medieval paean to the power of music. Text: Li Po (China, 701-762c.e.), trans. David Hinton.

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