Tom Waits exists thanks to Partch. 7 reasons to go see Delusion of the Fury. And listen.

'Harry Partch knew exactly what he was doing. He chose very specific bourbon bottles to fill in those 43 steps in the octave. So he made music that is very accessible, but also very elusive. And that's what good art should do.'

Heiner Goebbels, composer, choreographer, director and professor of higher arts is clear about it: Harry Partch, the American alcoholic, drifter and composer who died in 1974, was one of the most important figures in modern American music. Partch influenced greats like Frank Zappa and Tom Waits, but remained unknown himself for a long time. In June, the work can be heard, but more importantly, seen at the Holland Festival. 7 reasons to go:

 1: the impracticable is made practicable

Harry Partch's work was almost impossible to carry out because it required his self-made and designed instruments. And these were so fragile that transport was actually impossible.

Her Ensemble Musikfabrik from Germany have been working for the past two years to very precisely recreate Partch's instruments. They rebuilt his marimba from extremely fragile General Electric light bulbs from the 1940s, and looked for a tree with just the right shape to make the 'Gourd Tree' with. All this so that Partch's masterpiece, 'Delusion of the Fury', could be heard, but more importantly seen, on mainland Europe. For the first time ever.

2: It sounds very familiar

The first encounter with this musical theatre work is quite overwhelming. Although no sound or note is familiar, you immediately imagine yourself on an American prairie, accompanied by music that sounds like a familiar record by Tom Waits, the tune from the hit series 'Breaking Bad' or a more experimental work by the Beach Boys. While still being high art. Microtonal music. Music with not 12 steps in an octave, as with all the music we make here every day, but 43.

3: Unheard sound is exciting to hear

That produces a very distinct sound on, explains Heiner Goebbels: 'The whole idea behind microtonality is to get as close as possible to the capabilities of the human voice. For Partch, it wasn't an experiment. For him, it is the way to make music. He didn't want to have to work with just a few notes. He wanted to be able to make any tone he felt he needed.'

Goebbels discovered Partch in the early 1980s. 'He made an explosive impression on me and the musicians I was working with at the time. We were all looking for new unheard sounds. We were looking for unfamiliar keys. Something different from that earthy, and very physical pop tradition. Harry Partch was someone who could make anything sound new.'

4: It is beautiful to see

The music hasn't let him go: 'The more I immerse myself in him, the more I notice that he raised questions back in the 1950s that I'm still working on now. For example: Why can't professional musicians play by heart? The light shining on their desks ruins any artistic stage image.'

That aspect in particular was vital to Goebbels. Like him, Partch felt that music was also something to look at. Indeed, his orchestra of home-made instruments is also a beautiful thing to behold. A surreal collection of trash and seemingly loose objects, which together produce something more than separately: 'Partch paved the way for the acceptance of the musical instrument as a driving dramatic force in theatre. The musicians also discovered new things now. Not only did they have to study for a year to master these strange instruments, they also found out that bringing this music can only be done if you include your whole body in it.'

 5: It is also for laughs

So they sing, walk around, bang on huge logs or touch very subtle instruments. And in the process, there are laughs. That's typically a one input from Goebbels: 'I mean, you can't look serious when you have to sing "badu, badu, badu". That lightness is absolutely necessary to play Partch. And from the first rehearsals in 2012, it was a pure joy to work on this. Why not. If you've been playing oboe exclusively for the past forty years, it's only fun to suddenly have to play on a very strange horn.'

6: You don't have to understand everything

According to Goebbels, you don't have to go to too much trouble to follow the story of 'Delusion of the fury'. Nor did he himself. Whether it is a Chinese story, or an African fairy tale, does not matter much, Goebbels believes: 'Vagueness is the driving force in art. The essence of art is that it is not precise, that it cannot be easily evaluated. I am very precise about that these days. But I am also becoming more relaxed when I work. I now also dare to trust the creative energy that is in such a large ensemble. As Last year with the Slovenian girls.’

7: You will drink from it.

And indeed: even in that performance, many questions remained unanswered in a retrospective pleasant way. Goebbels found a kindred spirit in Partch: 'He was not interested in clarity or clarity. He wanted an experience that could not be described in a few words. He only uses about 40 words in this piece. He doesn't want to make a statement about reality. Everything has to be vague. Even when he draws on ethnic cultures, it shouldn't be precisely placeable: whether it's Chinese, or African, or French, or Indian. He travelled, and he sucked that in, just as he sucked the alcohol in, so he could make a musical instrument out of the empty bottles.'