Search - Glenn Branca :: Symphony #8 & #10 The Mysteries

And in the eighth symphony, Branca creates a masterpiece

sagami | Tokyo, JAPAN | 01/04/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Choosing whether to rate this CD four stars or three is a difficult choice, since the disc contains two symphonies and not one, and because not all of the music is entirely successful. I have chosen to give the disc four stars, since the second movement of Symphony No. 8 is absolutely magnificent: twenty-minutes of soaring guitars that continually push into higher and higher estatic states and eventually climax into a fanfare. The CD is worth buying if only for this piece alone. Definitely a must-hear for anyone interested in contemporary music."

Spiritual Anarchy

as | 11/15/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Should life stop making sense (again), submerge yourself in Branca's hellish sonic power. Of all of Branca's symphonies, 8 and 10 are my favourites because they are among his most accomplished works. Highly recommended!"

Orchestral Guitar Noise

as | 05/13/1998

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Very edgy symphonic music written for an army of guitarists and a couple of drummers. Branca's music seems blunt and simple on the surface, but, paradoxically, subtleties emerge at high volume. His stated themes for these works are life and death, and he does evoke the joys and anxieties of existence through the ambling drums and slowly-building harmonies of the guitars. More and more the listener comes to identify with the spirits of these works until, in the final crescendo, all is lost in the despair of certain death. What more can you ask for?"