Steve Reich (1936- )
Steve
Reich began his career as a percussionist, and his music is marked by
an almost overriding interest in rhythm. He studied philosophy at
Cornell before beginning studies in composition, first at Juilliard and
then at Mills College in California. It was there, studying with
Luciano Berio and Darius Milhaud, that he was introduced to the music
of Bali and of Africa. Both of these had a decisive influence on his
musical development. In 1971 he traveled to Africa to study drumming
with the master drummers of Ghana's Ewe tribe. Reich's first works were
almost exclusively for percussion, and in them he used both the
rhythmic energy and repetitive patterns he found in African music and
the concept of gradual change that marks Balinese music. The result was
a music in which repeating rhythmic ideas slowly go out of phase with
each other, creating gradual change and increasing
complexity. Reich utilizes this process of gradual change with
live performers, as well as by means of tape manipulations (such as
making two tape loops of the same sound, but of slightly different
lengths). As Reich continued his experiments with rhythm and phases, he
began to incorporate other elements (such as melodic motives and
harmonic change). Works such as Music for 18 Musicians (1976) make use
of repeating melodic cells and harmonic progressions that function in
the same way as the rhythmic patterns of his earlier works. More
recently, he has added the rhythms and inflections of human speech as
material for his compositions, especially in Different Trains (1988)
and City Life (1995). Reich's music, along with that of the other
minimalists, causes us to rethink the way we listen to music. Not
surprisingly, his approach, steeped in non-Western ideals, violates
many of the assumptions about music that have developed in the West
(harmonic goals for example, and forms based on a hierarchy of
structure). At the same time, it is different from its non-Western
models, in that its function as concert music is the same as that of
all Western music from the eighteenth century on. In a Musical
America article Reich said, "When American music was basically aping
European serial music [in the fifties and early sixties], the audience
was very limited. As American music has again become as natural an
utterance for us as it was for [American composer Aaron] Copland in the
thirties, then we're in a situation where normalcy has been regained.
And the audience is reacting to that reality."- W.W. Norton
COMPOSITIONS Reich Links ~ ~ ~ Works by Genre ~ ~ ~ Reich on Reich
It's Gonna Rain, tape (1965)
Come Out, tape (1966)
Melodica, tape (1966)
Piano Phase, 2 pianos (1967)
Violin Phase, violin and tape or four violins (1967; arr. as Electric Guitar Phase, 2000)
My Name Is, three tapes recorders and performers (1967)
Pendulum Music, 3 or 4 microphones, amplifiers and loudspeakers (1968)
Four Organs, four electric organs and maracas (1970)
Phase Patterns, four electric organs (1970)
Drumming, 4 pairs bongos, 3 marimbas, 3 glockenspiels, 2 female voices, whistling and piccolo (1970-71)
Clapping Music, two musicians clapping (1972)
Music for Pieces of Wood, five pair of tuned claves (1973)
Music for Mallet Instruments, Voices, and Organ (1973)
Six Pianos (1973; arr. as Six Marimbas, 1986)
Music for 18 Musicians (1974-76)
Music for a Large Ensemble (1978)
Variations for Winds, Strings, and Keyboards, orchestra (1979)
Octet (1979)
Tehillim, voices and ensemble or orchestra (1981)
Vermont Counterpoint, amplified flute/piccolo/alto flute and tape (1982)
[arr. as Tokyo/Vermont Counterpoint, KAT MIDI mallet and pre-recorded tape, 2000]
Eight Lines, ensemble (1983)
The Desert Music, amplified chorus and orchestra (1984)
Sextet, percussion and keyboards (1984)
New York Counterpoint, amplified clarinet and tape, or 11 clarinets (1985)
Three Movements, orchestra (1986)
Electric Counterpoint, electric guitar or amplified acoustic guitar and tape (1987)
The Four Sections, orchestra (1987)
Different Trains, string quartet and tape (1988; arr. for string orchestra and tape, 2000; withdrawn 2003)
The Cave, music and video theatre work (1990-93)
Duet, two solo violins and string ensemble (1993)
Typing Music [Genesis XII], percussion (from The Cave, Act I) (1993)
Nagoya Marimbas, 2 marimbas (1994; arr. as Nagoya Guitars, 2 guitars, 1996)
City Life, amplified ensemble (1995)
Proverb, voices and ensemble (1995)
Triple Quartet, amplified str qt (w/pre-recorded tape), or 3 string quartets, or string orchestra (1998)
Know What Is Above You, 4 women’s voices (S,S,A,A) and 2 percussion (tamborims) (1999)
Three Tales, video opera (2002)
Dance Patterns, 2 xylophones, 2 vibraphones, 2 pianos (2002)
Cello Counterpoint, amplified cello and multichannel tape (2003)
You Are (Variations), amplified ensemble and voices (2004)
For Strings (with Winds and Brass), orchestra (1987/2004)
Variations for Vibes, Pianos, and Strings, dance piece, 3 string quartets, 4 vibraphones and 2 pianos (2005)
Daniel Variations, 4 voices and ensemble (2006)
Double Sextet, violin, cello, piano, vibraphone, clarinet, flute and pre-recorded tape (2007) [Pulitzer Prize Winner]
WORKS BY GENRE Reich Links ~ top of page ~
Dramatic/Theater
The Cave, music and video theatre work (1990-93)
Three Tales, video opera (2002)
Orchestra/Large Ensemble
Music for 18 Musicians (1974-76)
Music for a Large Ensemble (1978)
Variations for Winds, Strings, and Keyboards, orchestra (1979)
Tehillim, voices and ensemble or orchestra (1981)
Eight Lines, ensemble (1983)
Three Movements, orchestra (1986)
The Four Sections, orchestra (1987)
City Life, amplified ensemble (1995)
Triple Quartet, amplified str qt (w/pre-recorded tape), or 3 string quartets, or string orchestra (1998)
For Strings (with Winds and Brass), orchestra (1987/2004)
Soloist(s) w/Orchestra
Duet, two solo violins and string ensemble (1993)
Chorus w/Orchestra
The Desert Music, amplified chorus and orchestra (1984)
Chamber
Violin Phase, violin and tape or four violins (1967; arr. as Electric Guitar Phase, 2000)
Drumming, 4 pairs bongos, 3 marimbas, 3 glockenspiels, 2 female voices, whistling and piccolo (1970-71)
Music for Mallet Instruments, Voices, and Organ (1973)
Octet (1979)
Vermont Counterpoint, amplified flute/piccolo/alto flute and tape (1982)
[arr. as Tokyo/Vermont Counterpoint, KAT MIDI mallet and pre-recorded tape, 2000]
Sextet, percussion and keyboards (1984)
New York Counterpoint, amplified clarinet and tape, or 11 clarinets (1985)
Different Trains, string quartet and tape (1988; arr. for string orchestra and tape, 2000; withdrawn 2003)
Nagoya Marimbas, 2 marimbas (1994; arr. as Nagoya Guitars, 2 guitars, 1996)
Triple Quartet, amplified str qt (w/pre-recorded tape), or 3 string quartets, or string orchestra (1998)
Dance Patterns, 2 xylophones, 2 vibraphones, 2 pianos (2002)
Variations for Vibes, Pianos, and Strings, dance piece, 3 string quartets, 4 vibraphones and 2 pianos (2005)
Double Sextet, violin, cello, piano, vibraphone, clarinet, flute and pre-recorded tape (2007) [Pulitzer Prize Winner]
Percussion
Clapping Music, two musicians clapping (1972)
Music for Pieces of Wood, five pair of tuned claves (1973)
Six Pianos (1973; arr. as Six Marimbas, 1986)
Sextet, percussion and keyboards (1984)
Typing Music [Genesis XII], percussion (from The Cave, Act I) (1993)
Nagoya Marimbas, 2 marimbas (1994; arr. as Nagoya Guitars, 2 guitars, 1996)
Dance Patterns, 2 xylophones, 2 vibraphones, 2 pianos (2002)
Solo Instrument
Violin Phase, violin and tape or four violins (1967; arr. as Electric Guitar Phase, 2000)
New York Counterpoint, amplified clarinet and tape, or 11 clarinets (1985)
Electric Counterpoint, electric guitar or amplified acoustic guitar and tape (1987)
Cello Counterpoint, amplified cello and multichannel tape (2003)
Piano/Organ
Piano Phase, 2 pianos (1967)
Four Organs, four electric organs and maracas (1970)
Phase Patterns, four electric organs (1970)
Six Pianos (1973; arr. as Six Marimbas, 1986)
Vocal
Tehillim, voices and ensemble or orchestra (1981)
Proverb, voices and ensemble (1995)
Know What Is Above You, 4 women’s voices (S,S,A,A) and 2 percussion (tamborims) (1999)
You Are (Variations), amplified ensemble and voices (2004)
Daniel Variations, 4 voices and ensemble (2006)
Electronic
It's Gonna Rain, tape (1965)
Come Out, tape (1966)
Melodica, tape (1966)
Violin Phase, violin and tape or four violins (1967; arr. as Electric Guitar Phase, 2000)
My Name Is, three tapes recorders and performers (1967)
Pendulum Music, 3 or 4 microphones, amplifiers and loudspeakers (1968)
Vermont Counterpoint, amplified flute/piccolo/alto flute and tape (1982)
[arr. as Tokyo/Vermont Counterpoint, KAT MIDI mallet and pre-recorded tape, 2000]
New York Counterpoint, amplified clarinet and tape, or 11 clarinets (1985)
Electric Counterpoint, electric guitar or amplified acoustic guitar and tape (1987)
Different Trains, string quartet and tape (1988; arr. for string orchestra and tape, 2000; withdrawn 2003)
Triple Quartet, amplified str qt (w/pre-recorded tape), or 3 string quartets, or string orchestra (1998)
Cello Counterpoint, amplified cello and multichannel tape (2003)
Double Sextet, violin, cello, piano, vibraphone, clarinet, flute and pre-recorded tape (2007) [Pulitzer Prize Winner]
REICH LINKS Works by Genre ~ top of page ~
At 70, Composer Steve Reich Gets the recognition He Deserves (Linda Myers, Cornell Chronicle Online)
Composer Steve Reich Discusses His Work (Online NewsHour)
Composer Steve Reich Wins Pulitzer Prize for Piece Written for UR's eighth blackbird (University of Richmond)
In The First Person: Steve Reich (Interview by Richard Kessler of the American Music Center/July 1998)
An Interview with Steve Reich (Gabrielle Zuckerman, American Mavericks)
An Interview with Steve Reich (Joshua Klein, Pitchfork)
Steve Reich @ 70 on WNYC (WNYC)
The Reich Stuff (Anne Midgette, The Classical Beat, The Washington Post)
Remembering the Sounds of History, Faith (Tom Strini, Journal Sentinel)
Steve Reich (Carter Horsley, The City Review)
Steve Reich (Roger Sutherland, ESTWeb)
Steve Reich (James Wierzbicki)
Steve Reich (in "Minimalism: Origins") (Edward Strickland)
Steve Reich, Different Trains (1988) (Al Filreis)
Steve Reich: Early Tape Pieces (Interview by Jason Gross, Perfect Sound Forever)
Steve Reich Interview (Marc Weidenbaum, Disquiet, The Public Record)
Steve Reich Mini-Festival (Sarah Canice Funke, Suite101)
Steve Reich: Minimalism In The Mainstream (NPR)
Steve Reich: Phases: A Nonesuch Retrospective (John Kelman, All About Jazz)
Steve Reich Wins 2009 Pulitzer Prize (NewMusicBox)
Steve Reich Wins a Pulitzer, Appearing at BAM for a Q & A (Andrew Frisicano, BrooklynVegan)
Steve Reich Wins Pulitzer Prize for Music (tinymixtapes.com)
Steve Reich's Piano Phase (Sarah Canice Funke, Suite101)
A Subtext for Deepening Confusions: Steve Reich at 70 (Norman Lebrecht, La Scena Musicale)
Composer's website
Reich @ Wikipedia
Reich @ Answers.com
Reich @ Art of the States
Reich @ BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music)
Reich @ Boosey & Hawkes
Reich @ Carnegie Hall
Reich @ Classical Archives
Reich @ Classical Composers Database
Reich @ Classical Music Pages
Reich @ Classical Net
Reich @ ClassicsToday
Reich @ composition:today
Reich @ Dr. Estrella's Incredibly Abridged Dictionary of Composers
Reich @ Ensemble Sospeso
Reich @ Howard Stokar Management
Reich @ IMDb (Internet Movie Database)
Reich @ Karadar Classical Music
Reich @ lichtensteiger.de
Reich @ MusicWeb International
Reich @ musicianguide.com
Reich @ MySpace Music
Reich @ NationMaster
Reich @ The New York Times
Reich @ Nonesuch Records
Reich @ W.W. Norton
Reich @ W.W. Norton/The Enjoyment of Music
Reich @ NPRmusic
Reich @ Present Music
Reich @ The Pulitzer Prizes
Reich @ Whitney Museum of American Art
Streaming Audio
Reich @ Classical Archives
Reich @ Internet Archive
Reich @ last.fm
Reich @ MySpace Music
Reich @ NPRmusic
Reich @ NPR - Interview with Fresh Air's Terry Gross
Reich @ PRX (Public Radio Exchange)
Reich @ Rhapsody
Reich @ WNYC
Recordings
Reich @ ArkivMusic
Reich @ ClassicsOnline
Reich @ YouTube
Reich @ IFC
Reich on Reich: The South Bank Show (6 part documentary)
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