STEVE REICH
Picked up a heavily discounted Nonesuch sampler, at the weekend for three quid. Nothing much on it, apart from Section 6 of ‘Music for 18 Musicians’ by composer (and arranger, I presume) Steve Reich. Oh! but it’s good! I’ve had it on repeat – the relentlessness of playing it on repeat suits the music. I don’t even like classical music as a rule, but this is different. It’s similar to Brian Eno or David Axelrod but it’s all played by musicians, so it’s not electric (or electronic, even). An ebayer comments:
To label the work 'repetitive' would be an understatement, but also an unfair one. It is in its repetition of themes and original musical ideas that this admittedly minimal work finds it's strengths.
The fact that the very modern sounding piece is played entirely acoustically, along with the almost unrecognisable (yet sublime) presence of four female voices both contribute greatly to a piece of music which should not be ignored. This (‘Music for 18 Musicians’) is one of the most accessible of his works and is hauntingly repetitive and very beautiful – if you are new to the 'minimalist' music of the ‘70s, this work will astound you with its originality.
Picked up a heavily discounted Nonesuch sampler, at the weekend for three quid. Nothing much on it, apart from Section 6 of ‘Music for 18 Musicians’ by composer (and arranger, I presume) Steve Reich. Oh! but it’s good! I’ve had it on repeat – the relentlessness of playing it on repeat suits the music. I don’t even like classical music as a rule, but this is different. It’s similar to Brian Eno or David Axelrod but it’s all played by musicians, so it’s not electric (or electronic, even). An ebayer comments:
To label the work 'repetitive' would be an understatement, but also an unfair one. It is in its repetition of themes and original musical ideas that this admittedly minimal work finds it's strengths.
The fact that the very modern sounding piece is played entirely acoustically, along with the almost unrecognisable (yet sublime) presence of four female voices both contribute greatly to a piece of music which should not be ignored. This (‘Music for 18 Musicians’) is one of the most accessible of his works and is hauntingly repetitive and very beautiful – if you are new to the 'minimalist' music of the ‘70s, this work will astound you with its originality.
