Castor & Pollux

CASTOR & POLLUX is a dance-theater work with a beguiling program. It is structured in two large sections, each section comprised of three duets and a tutti. The first section is entitled CASTOR, the second, POLLUX. The first duet of each section is titled Leda and the Swan (insemination); the second, Conception; the third, Incubation; and the tutti. Chorus of Delivery From the Egg. By its contrapuntal texture. CASTOR & POLLUX shows well the melodic capabilities of the instruments, and the two tutti section grand finales to the glory of birth.

The instrumentation is typical of Partch's works, designed and built by himself and tuned to the natural scale. Here we have: kithara, surrogate kithara, harmonic canon, diamond marimba, cloud chamber bowls & bass marimba. All the instruments can be seen and heard here.
The instrumentation itself characterizes the two sections. Each of them, in fact, is divided into four parts: three duets and a tutti. In both sections, the duets are titled:

Leda and the Swan (insemination)
Conception
Incubation
The final tutti is titled "Chorus of Delivery From the Egg.".

The instruments used in each subsection are:

CASTOR
1. Leda and the Swan (Kithara II, Surrogate Kithara, and Cloud-Chamber Bowls)
2. Conception (Harmonic Canon II and High Bass Marimba)
3. lncubation (Diamond Marimba and Low Bass Marimba)
4. Chorus of Delivery From the Egg (All the foregoing instruments)

POLLUX
1. Leda and the Swan (Kithara II. Surrogate Kithara, and Low Bass Marimba)
2. Conception (Harmonic Canon II and Cloud-Chamber Bowls)
3. lncubation (Diamond Marimba and High Bass Marimba)
4. Chorus of Delivery From,the Egg (All the foregoing instruments)

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