Harry Partch and his Strange Musical Instruments

Walter Simmons / 1989

Harry Partch (Oakland, 1901 - Encinitas, 1974)

Entrevista a Lou Harrison y Bill Colvig

16.02.1989

Charles Amirkhanian

Charles Amirkhanian talks with one of America's most distinguished composers, Lou Harrison (Portland, 1917 - Lafayette, 2003), whose use of gamelan instruments and interest in other musics of the world helped bring an appreciation of Pacific and Asian music to the U.S. William Colvig (1917-2000) has collaborated with Harrison for many years, building original and gamelan-inspired instruments. The program begins with Eric Marin's film documenting Harrison & Colvig, and continues with excerpts from Harrison's Piano Concerto (featuring Keith Jarrett) and "Suite for Violin, Piano and Small Orchestra." The second part of the program includes a demonstration of original instruments by Harrison & Colvig.

Entrevista a Frederic Rzewski

09.01.1989

KPFA-FM / Charles Amirkhanian 

Charles Amirkhanian interviews one of the most important American composer/performers of the past quarter century, Frederic Rzewski (Westfield, 1938), who has lived in Rome and Brussels during that period. The composer of a famous set of piano variations on Victor Jara's “El Pueblo Unido Jamas Sera Vencido”, Rzewski discusses his recent music and artistic tastes. Rzewski is known for both his remarkable virtuosity as a performer, improviser and composer, and his committed involvement in left politics. How he resolves these in his work is a problem which he has concluded with thoughtfulness and inventiveness of an uncommon sort.