The Concertzender presents an extensive tribute to the recently deceased Glenn Branca spread over two nights in June and July.
The American composer and guitar pioneer Glenn Branca passed away on 13 May at the age of 69. He was a true avant-gardist who wrote dizzying compositions for hundreds of guitars and experimented with micro-tonal tunings.
Branca’s albums ‘The Ascension’, ‘Lesson No. 1’ and ‘Symphony No. 1’ are legendary and combine the raw impact of rock with the stylised beauty of minimal music. In ‘Symphony No. 3: Gloria’ he was able to incorporate pure tunings into the complexity of his music. Later in his life he also composed works for symphony orchestra and produced masterpieces including the ballet music ‘The World Upside Down’ and ‘Symphony No. 9 (L’Eve Future)’. His final symphony, Symphony No. 16 (Orgasm) for 100 guitars was premièred in 2015 in Paris. In the Netherlands he was a frequent guest with his Glenn Branca Ensemble in Den Haag (State-X New Forms) and Amsterdam (Haperende Mens).
The Concertzender presents an extensive tribute to the exceptional music of Glenn Branca spread over two nights. The first part was broadcast on Wednesday 20 June and can now be heard on demand. Part 2 is broadcast on Wednesday 4 July (1.00-7.00 CET). The programmes include almost all of his important works including the symphonies and The Ascension series as well as a lot of older work and songs. The programmes are produced by Kees van de Wiel and are presentred by Guy Livingston.
