Original American composer Harry Partch was influenced by no one
nor any musical genre or tradition. A Newsweek citation states: "Harry Partch
is an American visionary and stubborn individualist...
He has built his own musical world out of microtones, hobo speech, elastic
octaves and percussion instruments made from hubcaps and nuclear cloud
chambers. His music is also influenced by "African polyrhythms, ancient Greek
modes, bits of Babylonia and the American diesel engine all gathered into a
richly erotic, primitive, fresh and stirring drama of sound".

Harry Partch describes his creativity as: "I have never been involved with the
development of modern or avant-garde music. I have always been a loner. There
is nothing like my work in the modern world that I know of".
His instruments, all constructed and sculpted by him from scraps and objects
found near Sausalito, California
are probably now stored at the Whitney Museum in New York City.

Two albums were made by Columbia 30 years ago. One is a recording of the
"Delusion of the Fury" on 2 LPs.
The other is called "The World of Harry Partch", consisting of "Daphne of the
Dunes", "Barstow", Eight Hitchhiker Inscriptions from a Highway Railing at
Barstow (California); and "Castor and Pollux", a Dance for Twin Rhythms of
Gemini from Plectra & Percussion Dances. These are played by Danlee Mitchell
and his thirteen member ensemble, all trained by Partch. No conventional
orchestra can play these pieces because they cannot be played on traditional
instruments. The last time these works were played was probably about 25
years ago.

The names of the instruments, all pictured and described in a beautiful
booklet accompanying both albums are: Cloud chamber bowls,bass
marimba, Kithara, Spoils of War, Zymo-XYL, Boo (Bamboo Marimba),Chromelodeon,
Diamond Marimba, Mazda Marimba, Gourd Tree, Cone Gong, Eucal Blossom,
Quadrangularis Reversum, and Harmonic Canon. Hand instruments consist of:
Bolivian double flute, Ugumbo (a Zulu instrument), Waving drum, Rotating drum,
Belly drum, and Bamboo and Eucalyptus Claves.

I do not know if these Columbia LPs have been transferred to Sony CDs.