The seven works on the disc (two each by
Harry Partch,
John Cage, and
Lou Harrison and one by
LaMonte Young) are among of the most enjoyable introductory albums to just intonation. Guitarist John Schneider, who arranged several of the pieces on the disc for harp and guitar, is joined by harpist Amy Schulman and, in one work, by percussionist
Gene Sterling. Schneider's extensive and highly informative notes guide the reader painlessly through a discussion of tuning theories and the history of the pieces.
Lou Harrison's Suite No 2,
LaMonte Young's Sarabande, and
Harry Partch's Two Studies and Barstow were all originally written or later adapted by the composer for just intonation. Except for Barstow, the performances are arranged for the present combination of instruments by Schneider. The performances are gentle and atmospheric, using the unexpected scale notes -- often with certain notes being pretty far off the standard piano keyboard -- for color and drama, rather than chromaticism and chord structure.
The only vocal work is
Partch's Barstow, Eight Hitchhiker Inscriptions, intoned, sung, and played by Schneider in his reconstruction of its original version for voice and adapted guitar.
Partch fans will be familiar with the later version of Barstow, with additional voices and an ensemble of
Partch instruments. In this close-to-original version, Schneider finds the work grittier and less funny than in the later version. Here, the sense of desperation yet determination to carry on is closer to the surface.
Three other works, (Dream and In a Landscape by
John Cage, and Six Sonatas by Harrison) are adapted into just intonation tuning by Schneider. These non-harmonic pieces, without appreciable tonal modulation, work just fine in this manner.
This is a fine recording, produced by Schneider and recorded by Steve Barker at KPFK-FM in Los Angeles in 1993.