Today I played in the world premiere of Anthony Braxton's Composition #19 (1971) for 100 tubas (okay, some of us played euphonium, a tenor tuba). It was Anthony's 60th birthday, which made it a nice present after 35 years of waiting.
Dedicated to electronic music pioneer Raymond Scott, Composition #19 is an hour long piece with the forces split into four parts, unison playing on each part. Each groups plays independently, and moves spatially throughout the space in differing configuations - block, single file, individuals spin off. Slow unfolding of soft, low melodic fragments...ocassionally interspersed with lightning bolts ("sound flashes" - sforzando descending harmonic glissandi) and feather-shaped "sound sparkles" (non-pitched sounds).
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