Steve Reich Albums (23)
'From the Kitchen Archives, No. 2: Live 1977'
Release Date 1/1/2005
Tracks 5
Label Orange Mountain
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'Music for 18 Musicians Live'
Release Date 1/20/2004
Tracks 1
Label Hungaroton
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What The Critics Say
This live recording of Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians comes with lavish praise from the composer himself, a man who has made no secret of his low regard for both live recordings in general and live recordings of his own music by European musicians in particular. This performance was recorded in concert at the Ferenc Liszt Academy in Budapest. The Amadinda percussion ensemble, normally a quartet, added the requisite 14 additional players in order to meet the demands of the score and learned the parts by interpreting Reich's original version of the printed music rather than the official published score from the late 1990s. With Music for 18 Musicians, Reich made it clear that he was not a "minimalist" in the sense that his contemporaries Philip Glass and Terry Riley were minimalist; while the piece is characterized by repeated figures and relatively slow harmonic movement, there is a tremendous intricacy to the structure that underlies this composition, and it covers a large amount of conceptual and sonic ground over the course of its one-hour length. Amadinda and the rest of the ensemble play and sing with an irresistible energy and verve; Reich is entirely right when he says, in the notes, that "one is simply swept along" by the power of their performance. Very highly recommended. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Steve Reich has always been at the forefront of technology while preserving his love for acoustic instruments. Three Tales is a collaboration with the cinematic artistry of Beryl Korot, and marries the worlds of historical events and Reich's minimalist and multi-layered combination of musics with the psychodrama of digital visual possibilities. Reich, in the liner notes, dismisses the idea that he is embracing new media while simultaneously scoffing at the "advances" of humankind as sensationalized by the news in today's manic society. Instead he is -- more than at any other time in his career -- telling broad-reaching stories with the full spectrum of his German/Jewish/African-influenced music, words, and image-driven scenarios that are burned in our brains, but never before in this particular light. The triad of accounts, which definitely act as a connected suite, relate to the horrific disaster of the torched Hindenburg blimp; the religious and vengeful connections between the Biblical tale of Adam and Eve, Hiroshima and the atomic bombs, and the invention of the two-piece women's swimsuit; and the first vestiges of artificial life created in contemporary times as represented by the cloning of the famous sheep Dolly. The accompanying DVD is useful in that it does enhance the audio backdrop, though as always with Reich's unique approach, the music can easily stand alone. "Hindenburg" (with "It Could Not Have Been a Technical Matter" on the DVD) starts with a dramatic, dancing motif on pianos, string quartet, and marimba, but phases into the actual sounds of sizzling and then eruptive thermite and hydrogen reacting. It's a macabre effect as vocal commentary and layered vocals become a news actuality. The ten-part "Bikini" is an ever evolving piece, ranging from the statement "I watched it fly" to strings sighing; a probing, insistent chorale in mixed meters; a gigantic mushroom chorale; settled and apologetic strings; an implied march; the rhythmic noise of countdown; more strident strings; and a post-horror aftermath of shock, dismay, and indignation. Whether resolute or not, this 22-and-a-half-minute piece really sets one's thought process into tilt-a-whirl mode. "Dolly" has an insular feeling, with multiple commentaries from scientists on the vagaries, possible consequences, and unlimited possibilities cell division and multiplication might lead to in the future. There's a clear choral homage to birth, processed percussive statements of the "human body machine" turned faceless, phased and echoed audio images of Charles Darwin's theorems, the thought that "every creature has a song," and the lengthy concluding coda where technology is a constant of evolution, but to its detriment, turned into intelligent machinery as phased and layered notions of controlling robotics, cyborg beings, and ultimate immortality end with the idea that this is "bringing up a baby the hard way." Throughout this program, Reich's central musical themes are always present, either exploding, providing a triptych through not only his witty modern music but the linear path of life, or expressing self-doubt through a vision of both caution and bravery. The most reliable members of Reich's longstanding large ensembles are here, including percussionists Bob Becker, Russ Hartenberger, Garry Kvistad, and James L. Preiss, mainly on marimba and vibes. The Synergy vocal ensemble add all the theatrics possible, while veteran pianists Edmund Niemann and Nurit Tilles stand fast in their role to drive this music into the 21st century. Three Tales is yet another stunning accomplishment in Steve Reich's illustrious career, but these descriptions can never really do it justice. Please, when you purchase this item, take your time in watching, listening, and reflecting on how the human condition (in both its depth and shallowness) and its feats, tragedies, triumphs, and consequences still steadfastly allow us to retain hope and optimism for a better world. ~ Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide
'Variations, Six Pianos Etc.'
Release Date 8/13/2002
Tracks 3
Label Universal
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What The Critics Say
This is a mid-priced reissue of several recordings of Steve Reich compositions originally released in the 1970s and 1980s. Its centerpiece is a 1984 recording of "Variations for Winds, Strings and Keyboards," performed by the San Francisco Symphony under the direction of Edo de Waart; the other two compositions, "Music for Mallet Instruments, Voices and Organ" and "Six Pianos," are presented here in 1974 recordings made by Reich himself with his own ensemble. This reissue is welcome for a number of reasons, not least among them the fact that it brings together three of Reich's most winning and accessible compositions at mid-range price. It also fills a gap left by Works: 1965-1995's fine ten-disc retrospective, which included a different arrangement of "Six Pianos" and did not include the "Variations" at all. The digital remastering for this reissue was very nicely done, and the warmth of the original analog recordings remains; the performances, too, are impeccable, and those by Reich and his own group are especially impressive. Newcomers to Reich's particular brand of process-generated music (he has always eschewed the term "minimalism") will probably find the "Variations" to be the most easily accessible and "Six Pianos" to be the most challenging, but everything on this program is exceptionally lovely. Highly recommended. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
'City Life/New York Counterpoint/Eight Lines/Violin Phase'
Release Date 1/1/2002
Tracks 14
Label RCA
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What The Critics Say
Steve Reich continues his exploration of counterpoint and phasing with Triple Quartet, a commission piece for the Kronos Quartet dating to 1999. For this piece (a suite in three movements), Kronos recorded two quartet scores, then played along with the tape, resulting in the Triple Quartet. Originally inspired by Bela Bartok's Fourth Quartet, the movements alternate fast, slow, and fast, with thick contrapuntal melodies rising and falling throughout. "Electric Guitar Phase" began life as "Violin Phase" in 1967. For this version, Dominic Frasca plays four electric guitar parts designed to set up phasing patterns. The initial melody (which almost sounds like the intro to a Van Halen tune) is doubled on a second guitar, then gradually sped up so that the second guitar winds up one eighth note ahead of the original melody. As other guitar parts are added in, the melody constantly changes subtly, the end result being a fascinating mixture of stasis and evolution. "Music for Large Ensemble," originally dating to 1977, is for a group approaching 30 players and is reminiscent of "Music for 18 Musicans" (also from the same time period), while "Tokyo/Vermont Counterpoint" is originally from 1981 and is performed by only one player performing multiple parts. For this piece, the original arrangement for flutes and piccolos is scored for MIDI marimba and xylophone. The natural duration of the notes was shortened in order to maintain the clarity of the composition, but the piece still shares a sonic kinship with "Six Marimbas." Triple Quartet is another beautiful offering from Steve Reich. It would also serve as a fine introduction to his work, as it surveys each of his four active decades as a composer and touches on the various styles and processes he's been interested in since moving away from pure musique concrète. Highly recommended. ~ Sean Westergaard, All Music Guide
'Phase Patterns/Pendulum Music/Piano Phase/Four Organs'
Release Date 5/11/1999
Tracks 6
Label Wergo
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What The Critics Say
By the '90s, a number of record labels began to re-investigate some of the earlier, pre-fame works of minimalist composers, both established figures (such as Reich, Glass, and Riley), as well as those who were less well-known. This collections gathers together several of Steve Reich's compositions from 1967-1970 (several years before his magnum opus Drumming), including three pieces for keyboards and three brief performances of an unusual work for freely swinging microphones. Phase Patterns and Four Organs had been issued on an obscure Shandar LP, and the latter had also been available on a Columbia recording paired with some John Cage pieces for prepared piano. Here, they are given vibrant new readings by members of the German new music group, Ensemble Avant Garde. The electric organs play short, repeated patterns that gradually go in and out of phase with each other, creating a shimmering matrix of sound that is both hypnotic and fascinating in detail. Piano Phase, for two pianos, uses a similar methodology but comes to quite different ends due to the acoustic nature of the instrument. Once again, brief sequences are played, first in unison then gradually sliding out of phase. Instead of the overlapping sonic aura produced by the organs, however, the unsustained piano notes generate an amazingly complex fabric of flickering patterns. One can clearly hear the seeds being sewn for Reich's later masterworks herein. The three versions of Pendulum Music are intriguing curiosities in which the music is produced by swinging microphones suspended from long chords past loudspeakers, the interference and feedback briefly generated becoming the substance of the piece. Depending on the amplitude of the swing, the rhythms decay and overlap at different rates resulting, as usual with Reich's work, emergent patterns of engaging complexity. Along with the Nonesuch release of his tape pieces, Come Out and t's Gonna Rain, this is a vital document of his earlier work and should be heard by any fan of Reich or minimalism in general. Highly recommended. ~ Brian Olewnick, All Music Guide
'Music for 18 Musicians: Ensemble Modern'
Release Date 4/13/1999
Tracks 14
Label RCA
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'Proverb/Nagoya Marimbas/City Life'
Release Date 1/1/1996
Tracks 7
Label Elektra
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What The Critics Say
This recording brings together three disparate styles on one record showcasing Reich's compositional work. Opening with "Proverb," a piece for voices and a mixed ensemble, the disc begins on a somber note. The complete text of the piece is the following line from Ludwig Wittgenstein: "How small a thought it takes to fill a whole life!" This line is sung very, very slowly, note by note with style and chord structure hearkening back to medieval harmonization. Electric organs double the singers. The centerpiece of the record is "Nagoya Marimbas," with a sound reminiscent of Reich's marimba work from the '60s and '70s, and for fans of this era of Reich's work it is a pleasant surprise to hear another piece in this style again. Marimba parts themselves are significantly more complex here, showing Reich's continuing development even when returning to old haunts. The final piece, "City Life," is a kickback to an earlier composition style, utilizing sounds in the natural environment (or in this case the urban environment) to generate musical material. Rather than using manipulated magnetic tape, however, Reich uses what he calls the "extended idea of prepared piano" -- the electronic keyboard sampler. Unlike experiments using tape, this piece was recorded live and can be easily reproduced live on-stage. Sampled sounds come in the form of speeches at political rallies, car horns, pile drivers, and sounds from fire-department radios during the first World Trade Center bombing. Using a car horn to replace the sound of a clarinet is, it must be said, pretty darn cool. This record shows Reich playing with different styles -- it is a transitional point in his career -- which leaves the cohesiveness of the recording off-balanced. But seeing the forest for three different kinds of trees, the new works are exciting and musically satisfying. ~ Mark W. B. Allender, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The Cave is a December 1994 piece featuring the Steve Reich Ensemble (conducted by Paul Hillier) in collaboration with video/text writer Beryl Korot. The story concerns the only place in the world where both Jews and Muslims are allowed to worship, a mosque in Hebron supposed to be the Cave of the Patriarchs where Abraham and many of his descendants were buried. Reich's ensemble includes four vocalists, four percussionists, three vocalists and a five-piece string section. The work begins with regimented percussion and follows through short spoken-word parts and longer sung passages. In several of the spoken-word parts, the harmonics are echoed in the string section (one of Reich's most recognizable and appealing devices), and although the content may be uninteresting to those not familiar with the ongoing Israeli-Arab differences, The Cave is a fascinating piece. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
