Steve Reich

Thomas,

Can't help with the two titles you mention, but I'd put Different Trains somewhere near the top of the list. He takes snatches of voice recordings of people talking about train journeys (in America and Holocaust survivors) and uses the inflections to kick off the music. It may sound weird but it works wonderfully. Features The Kronos Quartet.

The Nonesuch disk also comes with the work he wrote with Pat Metheny in mind - Electric Counterpoint - and makes the album a killer.



Both can be sampled on his Official Myspace site, and Amazon Marketplace have the CD for £5.88 here

Also recommended:

Drumming


Does what it says on the tin. Very hypnotic but not remotely boring.

Desert Music



Incredibly atmospheric.

Or, like me, you could just buy a whole bunch of the stuff in one go. Excellent set.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Reich-Works-1965-1995-BOX-SET/d...id=1181825387&sr=8-4

If I were looking to kick start a Steve Reich collection, I'd probably opt for this 5 CD set frome Nonesuch:

Nonesuch Box

It's not obvious from the track listing, but CD1 is "Music for 18 Musician's", Reich's finest work, IMHO.

Very reasonably priced at £20 too!

quote:

Originally posted by Thomas-B:

Music for 18 Musicians seems to be his most famous work, but I think there are two recordings of this. Is one better than the other?

Music for 18 Musicians is one of the great compositions of the 20th century, a seminal work of minimalism, surely one of Reich's best, and one of my personal all-time faves. I strongly recommend the ECM recording, the performance and recording of which matches the luminosity of the composition:





All best,
Fred

quote:

If I were looking to kick start a Steve Reich collection, I'd probably opt for this 5 CD set frome Nonesuch:

Nonesuch Box

It's not obvious from the track listing, but CD1 is "Music for 18 Musician's", Reich's finest work, IMHO.

Very reasonably priced at £20 too!

Definitely! I've got it and it is great - musically any valuely.

Nigel

Thanks for your recommendations. Droodzilla and Nigel, do you know if the the 5 CD Nonesuch box contains the same ECM recording of Music for 18 Musicians that Fred mentions?

quote:

Originally posted by Thomas-B:
Thanks for your recommendations. Droodzilla and Nigel, do you know if the the 5 CD Nonesuch box contains the same ECM recording of Music for 18 Musicians that Fred mentions?

No, it's a different recording; it's digital, the original was analogue. I have a feeling that the new recording is also directed by Steve Reich, as was the original.

Mark S

i have the music for 18 musicians fred mentions and i agree that it's great. i have a few others by reich and have seen him live a few times.

not sure everyone would like him, but i do. had a girlfriend who was driven to distraction by his music. glad to hear he's still doing concerts.

quote:

Thanks for your recommendations. Droodzilla and Nigel, do you know if the the 5 CD Nonesuch box contains the same ECM recording of Music for 18 Musicians that Fred mentions?

It seems, from Mark's response, that it isn't, but whatever there is some great music in the box, and for twenty quid you can't go wrong.

Nigel

Thomas - yes, it's a different version of MF18M, but the Nonesuch CDs of Reich's music that I've heard have all been very good. You could always buy the ECM recording as well, if you wanted to.

Looking again at the track listing, the set includes Desert Music and Different Trains, both recommended above. I agree with Nigel that it's a bargain.

I don't particullary like 6 marimbas which is based on 6 pianos [which I DO like]...

Start with Drumming !!

James H.