Anthony Braxton-Braxton House discs

[GregK]

In this week's Downtown Music Gallery newsletter, there is mention of Braxton making available to DMG a number of out of print Braxton House recordings. I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations regarding any of these. Are they all Ghost Trance Music? Here are the titles:

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Four Compositions (Washington, D.C.) 1998: Nos 46, 70, 222, 223 [2 CD set] (Braxton House 009; USA)

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Trillium R: Shala Fears For The Poor - Composition No 162 (Opera in Four Acts) [4 CD set & Libretto] (Braxton House 008; USA)

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Ensemble (New York) 1995: Composition No 187 (Braxton House 007; USA)

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Octet (New York) 1995: Composition No 188 (Braxton House 006; USA)

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Four Compositions (Quartet) 1995: Nos 182, 183, 184, 181 (Braxton House 005; USA)

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Tentet (New York) 1996: Composition No 193 (Braxton House 004; USA)

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Composition No. 102 (for Orchestra & Puppet Theater) (Braxton House 003; USA)

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Sextet (Istanbul) 1996: Composition Nos 185 & 186 [2 CD set] (Braxton House 001; USA)

[B. Clugston]

102, Trillium R and part of the Washington set are not GTM, but the rest are.

My favouries are Tentet, a rollicking, fast-paced GTM theme, and the double-disc Sextet, which has more of a chamberish take on GTM. Trombonist Roland Dahinden, accordionist Ted Reichman, bassist Joe Fonda and percussionist Kevin Norton are in fine form on both. (Jason Hwang is the sixth man on Sextet.) Pick these up--you will not be disappointed.

As for the rest, it will depend on what degree of Braxton completism you subscribe to.

The quartet disc features Braxton's first GTM recordings with the rhythm section from above. Also good.

I've never really taken to 187 and 188. They are to me a lot less dynamic than Tentet and Sextet. Some nice moments, but they tend to lumber along.

The Washington discs are part retrospective, part GTM. They feature an incredible version of Comp. 70 with a fantastic Braxton solo. Braxton conducts another earlier piece and there's a GTM duet for violin piano. Both good. Disc 2 is lengthy GTM piece for large ensemble which has never been a highlight for me (but I know a few people in the Braxton Yahoo group quite like it). Again, I find it kind of lumbering.

As for the others, Trillium R is four CDs of Braxtonian opera with some impressive musicians (see restructures.net for the names). It's historically important and bound to be a collector's item, but most would find it hard going. I enjoyed the opera reading on the recent Leo CD much more.

Comp. 102 is for puppet theatre and would have worked better as a DVD as it sounds more like accompaniment music. Still, there's something kind of beguiling about this piece.

[GregK]

102, Trillium R and part of the Washington set are not GTM, but the rest are.

My favouries are Tentet, a rollicking, fast-paced GTM theme, and the double-disc Sextet, which has more of a chamberish take on GTM. Trombonist Roland Dahinden, accordionist Ted Reichman, bassist Joe Fonda and percussionist Kevin Norton are in fine form on both. (Jason Hwang is the sixth man on Sextet.) Pick these up--you will not be disappointed.

As for the rest, it will depend on what degree of Braxton completism you subscribe to.

The quartet disc features Braxton's first GTM recordings with the rhythm section from above. Also good.

I've never really taken to 187 and 188. They are to me a lot less dynamic than Tentet and Sextet. Some nice moments, but they tend to lumber along.

The Washington discs are part retrospective, part GTM. They feature an incredible version of Comp. 70 with a fantastic Braxton solo. Braxton conducts another earlier piece and there's a GTM duet for violin piano. Both good. Disc 2 is lengthy GTM piece for large ensemble which has never been a highlight for me (but I know a few people in the Braxton Yahoo group quite like it). Again, I find it kind of lumbering.

As for the others, Trillium R is four CDs of Braxtonian opera with some impressive musicians (see restructures.net for the names). It's historically important and bound to be a collector's item, but most would find it hard going. I enjoyed the opera reading on the recent Leo CD much more.

Comp. 102 is for puppet theatre and would have worked better as a DVD as it sounds more like accompaniment music. Still, there's something kind of beguiling about this piece.

Thanks for the informative response! I would like to get them all- maybe I will start with the Istanbul Sextet.