Lou Harrison Gallery

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Title: Lou Harrison Date: 1939 Medium: Black/white photograph Note: Lou worked at Mills College as a dance accompanist and instructor in the fall of 1937 and 1938 summer session. He and Cage were invited to the college for the summers of 1939 and 1940. In July 1939, Harrison and Cage staged a successful concert of percussion music, which led to annual extravaganzas.
Title: Lou Harrison, composing Date: 1949 Location: New York Medium: Black/white photograph
Title: Lou Harrison, playing gamelan Date: undated Medium: Color photograph
Title: Lou Harrison correspondence; Note to Bill Date: ca. 1968 Location: Aptos, California Medium: Ink and paper Text: "Dear Love,/ Alas, - of the "Stroganoff"/ only one remained! Thisis their best-/seller I was told. I hope that you (or/ me)can fill out the set somewhere else./ John called & I told him/ that your plan still held - he will/ arrive at 5:00 or 5:30 Do have a/ good time my love!/ A lady called (I suspect/ the trip) but will try later (would not/ leave her number)./ Adolfo is making Chiles/ Rellenos especially for me, & then we/ will go to the glee club at S.I.R./ I leave you ten thousand kisses!/Lou/ Please give my little piece to John."
Title: "Jephtha's Daughter"; manuscript score, pg. 1 Date: 1941 Genre: Dramatic Dance Medium: Manuscript score paper and ink Text: Jephthah's Daughter:/ Lou Harrison/ 1941/ in San Francisco/ Players: musician, reader, 2 dancers/ Instruments: Tam Tam, 3 gongs, Triangle/ 7 cow bells/ 5 drums/ claves/ "Parade" (music notes)"
Title: "The Only Jealousy of Emer"; manuscript score Date: 1949 Genre: Dramatic Incidental Medium: Hand rolled manuscript score page with red lines, musical notes in black ink Text: "Inguba's entrance/ Emer's incantion/ The only jealousy of Emer/ lento I/ last phrase after poem, twice more (music notes)"
Title: "Strict Songs"; manuscript score, pg. 2 Date: 1955 Genre: Vocal Medium: Manuscript score paper and pencil Text: "Slow MM 1/4 note= 72/ Here is splendor of the air- plant spanish moss-/ the air- plant spanish moss- asway in the sun. Here is splendor/ Here is splendor of the air- plant & the Cobra of the air- plant & the Cobra arch-/ ing his head arching his head. Here is splendor. Here is splendor (music notes)"
Title: "Wesak Sonata"; manuscript score with tuning schema and introductory note, pg. 2 Date: May-June 1964 Genre: Non Western Medium: Ink and paper Text: "Note: This Wesak Sonata is compsed for a sixteen-string Chinse type/ Psaltery (or"Cheng") preferably strung in metal. A/ large sized orchestral or concert model is indicated./ Wesal day (April 8th to most Japanese Buddists)/ celebrates not only the birthday of Gotama, the historical/ Buddha, but also his enlightement & other glories. / Technical performance signs include:/ + = a tone produced only by pressure below the movable/ bridge. (if +^ then hold so until tone ends)./ (symbol) = the same, but extending through several or many tones./ (symbol) = the sign v means that the string is struck while already under pressure. (Example) / In the Allegro,/ N.B. = Vibrato of normal kind,/ always (& only) on this Do./ N.B.II= a regular & rhythmic very deep vibrato is begun & continued through the sign (symbol),/ Tune thusly: 1/2 to 3/2, 1/1 to 4/3, 3/2 to 9/8, 3/2 to 9/5, 1/1 to 2/1/ Do to Sol, Do to Fa, Sol to Re, Solt to bTi, Do to Do(up arrow)/ In Mvt. one, Grave, the gracenote to an octave does not make a repeated tone - only a "broken"octave. / May-June 1964/ Authors Private Edition by Lou Harrison
Title: "Wesak Sonata"; manuscript score, pg. 3 Date: May-June 1964 Genre: Non Western Medium: Ink and paper Text: "Grave, MM 1/8 note= circa 84, Tempo I/ Poco Liberamente (music notes)"
Title: "Peace Piece One" Date: 1968 Genre: Vocal Medium: Manuscript score paper and ink Text: "Peace Piece/ One:/ from the Metta Sutta/ Invocation for the Health of All Beings/ To the Memory of Martin Luther King"
Title: "A Phrase For Arion's Leap"; manuscript score, pg. 3 Date: 1974 Genre: Non Western Medium: Manuscript score paper and ink Text: In free style/ Precision Piece: "A Phrase For Arion's Leap"/ to Charles Shere from Lou Harrison", 15 Dec., 2517/ Poco Agitato/ 3 Ya Chengs (Bowed Psalteries)/ Metal Strung Harp/ Troubadour Harp/ Percussion (music notes)/ copyright by Lou Harrison"