Search - Anthony Braxton :: Composition No. 174: For Ten Percussionists, Slide Projections, Constructed Environment

Not Braxton's best for listening.

keefycub | Yonkers, NY United States | 01/29/2003

(1 out of 5 stars)

"While I'm a fan of much of Anthony Braxton's music and greatly admire his cross-pollination of pieces, nowhere does his reputation as a bit of a jive turkey precede him than this particular work. Overobsessed with maps, trails, and the fastest way to get from point A to point B, the over-reliance of recitation of map reference points tends to wear this particular work down for the listener. Imagine a CD filled with incidental, seemingly random (at first listen) percussion (tuned and unpitched) with a gaggle of students reciting that you could choose between the trail starting at point 86C, following up to 184M, into Sector 164-32GR -- repeatedly, to the point of mind-numbingness -- and you'll have a very good idea of what this particular piece is about. This one obviously works much better as a multimedia event, and would serve better as a film on DVD. If you've never heard of Braxton before don't start here -- pick a Creative Orchestra or Circle album first. This will be your least-listened-to CD unless you're obsessed with map references."