PARTITION V. POEME-PARTITION.   HAND DEDICATED TO HENRI CHOPIN WITH SIX INSERTED RECORDS. 1973.

Paris: Le Soleil Noir, 1973
19 x 19cm, 150pp plus original wrappers with tipped on modified (broken) record. Internally content of five additional 17.5cm, 33rpm records. The first edition of this famous collection of sound poems by Franken and texts by Heidsieck. The cover mounted record (which has been cut away in four areas) has on it two works – Partition V, Poeme-Partition by Ruth Francken and is one sided only because of its function as an art object/broken record. The other five flexi-disks contain in order: Partition V, Poeme-partition, Poeme-Partition B2 B3, le 4eme Plan,  La Penetration, La Convention Collective, La Cage, La Mer est Grosse, Quel Age Avez-Vous?, Bilan ou Mecher Ses Mots, La Semaine, passe-partout no5, Ruth Francken a Telephone and passe-partout no 8 . This copy is one of 875 numbered copies after the du tete of 325 copies but is augmented by a dedication from Heidsieck to his friend Henri Chopin: “Henri c’est pour toi. On a fait bien des choses ensemble. Formidable. Merci. Amicalement. Bernard”. Obtained indirectly from Henri Chopin’s library, this is a rare item which is made unique by the important association. Up to 1991 when Heidsick won the Grand Prix de la Poesie, Chopin and Heidsieck were very close friends but it appears jealousy at the latter being honoured by the establishment and some differences in aesthetics drove the two apart and, as so often found when close friends fall out, the insults and criticisms of each other flowed in both directions thereafter. Reference: Broken Music, p. 144. Very scarce especially with a dedication. A very interesting association copy.