Jon Szanto (l) and Danlee Mitchell, Oakland County Art Museum, 1982

The Corporeal Meadows Story

In September of 1996, Corporeal Meadows was born. The web was young, I was new at this, but already there was a need for information and resources about the work and life of Harry Partch. A void existed that we've attempted to fill.

As time passed, Partch has become more widely known through books, recordings, and films/videos. Still, it is critical, in a day and age of distortion and misappropriation, that there be a central repository for Partch's voice, for his aesthetic. A way for one to gain knowledge, and to be able to judge what the world is serving up, in the coming years, as "Partch". In renewing and refreshing this site (April of 2016), we recommit ourselves to that mission: a voice for Partch and his works, as he intended. Accept no substitutes.

The principals in this endeavor are:

• Jon Szanto - Member of the Partch Ensemble from 1972 - 1987 and assistant to Harry Partch during the last years of his life. Originator and webmaster of the Corporeal Meadows website in 1996 and archivist for the Harry Partch Estate. Producer and co-producer of projects on Partch for Composers Recordings, Inc. and New World Records, and liaison for resources of the Archive.
• Danlee Mitchell - Assistant to Harry Partch for 20 years and Executor of the Harry Partch Estate. Numerous collaborations with Partch over the years, including productions of the major stage works, and Music Director on the premiere of Delusion of the Fury. Music Director and Producer of the Harry Partch Ensemble, 1971 - 1990, including tours of the West coast and productions in Philadelphia, New York, Berlin and Cologne. 

To stay current, we offer the News/Opinion section, which will keep you informed of activities in the world of Partch (and can be added to your RSS feed). For somewhat historical purposes, we will keep the previous version of the Meadows online, archived but not updated. For now, our energies will be directed at maintaining this site and bringing information, new articles, recordings, and visual media to people who wish to know more about this remarkable person. The spirit of Harry Partch lives in Corporeal Meadows.

Jon Szanto, April 19, 2016