Steve Reich Drumming

Track Listings

1. Drumming, Pt. 1

2. Drumming, Pt. 2

3. Drumming, Pt. 3

4. Drumming, Pt. 4

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Once a fringe composer, Steve Reich is now part of the musical mainstream. His progress as a composer over the decades is impressive, but some of his earlier major works still stand as milestones, and Drumming is one of the best. Inspired by his drumming studies in Ghana, Drumming is a lengthy piece for percussion, sometimes reinforced by voices. It's thrilling to hear in person, and mesmerisingly involving even on recordings. (Don't listen to it while you're driving!) It's great that Reich's music is being taken up by young performers, and this new recording by So Percussion has many virtues, including lots of energy and very clear recording. It also uses singers who have worked with Reich (including the amazing Jay Clayton). Overdubbing parts doesn't seem to matter much either way. Unfortunately, the recording has a major, disqualifying flaw. The high-pitched opening of Part 3 becomes an undifferentiated hash in this performance, losing vital rhythmic definition. Both of Reich's recordings get this part (and everything else) right; the earlier version on Deutsche Grammophon uses the maximum repeats, in this case a real virtue. --Leslie Gerber

Tracks:

Drumming, Pt. 1 - Bob Becker, Russ Hartenberger, James Preiss
Drumming, Pt. 2 - Bob Becker, , , Tim Ferchen, Ben Harms, Russ Hartenberger, Martin Laba, Steve Reich, Glen Velez

Tracks:

Drumming, Pt. 3 - Bob Becker, Russ Hartenberger, James Preiss, Steve Reich, Leslie Scott, Glen Velez
Drumming, Pt. 4 - Bob Becker, , , Tim Ferchen, Ben Harms, Russ Hartenberger, James Preiss, Steve Reich, Glen Velez

Customer Reviews:

Repetition in a truly fascinating way...........2007-05-17

Originally released in 1973, this version is the re-released updated version of the seminal work of composer and minimalist "Steve Reich". Taking the central theme and idea of drumming and using rhythmic arrangements that owe a heavy debt to minimalist" or "trance" music at its best; rhythmic and melodic, using a variety of performers and percussionists, to bring these compositions to life, it's like a lengthy composition that ebbs and flows, and hits with tightly woven passages of sound, with subtle variations, which fall perfectly into line, and then gradually begin to fall out of synch, but done in such a slight and streamlined way, that you tend not to notice of the first few listens, and it's only subsequent gradual listens, that begin to unearth the intricacy of the music.

It's a sound that is minimal in its aesthetic...yet the deceptive almost trance-like nature of the sound, revel an undulating undercurrent to the music, that given the right conditions to truly appreciate the music, can be as intense and powerful as that of dynamic rock music. It strangely boundless, and unconcerned with similarly derived music, yet it can on occasion feel warm and organic, this is partly due to Reich's brilliance as a composer...which revels him to be determined, and single-minded in his approach, and seemingly able to give his arrangement a transitional sound, which gives way to an almost muscular and propulsive sound.

It's repetition, defined in the best possibly sense, and arguably those not familiar with Reich's work, may well find this tough going, as there are no vocal accompaniments to latch onto.....or any dramatic shifts in approach to change the mood, or even any real surprising U-turns to prepare for. Instead what you get is a subtly shifting music, heavy in texture and surprisingly thick in complexity, whereby melodies are challenging, with everything taking on a more Cerebral and hypnotic, near-clinical arrangement. It's epic listening, with no patience for people that like their music which is short and easily digestible. And instead these are long passages of resonating music, harmonically repeated and spread out over great lengths, allowing the listener to submerge themselves in the music, which will eventually mutate into fluid, linear songs.

I'll admit straight away, that I'm no Reich expert, I love his work...and I have several of his albums, which I enjoy greatly, but I'm a novice as far as his work is concerned (although I'm willing to learn), and for a casual listeners standpoint, I'd have to say that this is not only one of my favourite Reich pieces (along with "Music for 18 Musicians"), but possibly one of his more accessible pieces. It's a remarkable piece of work, and so long as your prepared to try and truly appreciate, what's going here....this is truly sublime stuff, and a whole hearted recommendation, for those unsure of where to start with Reich's work. Tremendous!!!

Quite enjoyable.......2007-01-11

The music brings back memories of West African drumming but is more familiar to the American ear.

Back to Basics.......2007-01-10

Back in the mid-80s when Reich, Glass, Adams, Riley, and Nyman moved from fringe to big time, they all got commissions from larger ensembles. I thought Reich's work was best of all. The thrill of Reich's propulsive beat under long serene (or ominous) tones was enormous. I must admit, though, that he seemed to hit a wall sometime soon after THE DESERT MUSIC and VERMONT COUNTERPOINT. Several "counterpoint" pieces for other instruments followed the same template. Ditto, new pieces echoed DESERT MUSIC, beginning even with the same chord.

This new recording of DRUMMING (the only one I've heard) reminds me why I loved Reich in the first place. At first, it's audaciously simple to the point that a casual listener would call idiotic. Very gradually, with incredible precision and patience, the ensemble gradually shifts out of synch, then starts filling in spaces. Eventually (but not for a long time!) Reich brings in variety with tones and different timbres.

It's dry and clean, it's virtuosic and athletic (what stamina and concentration they must have!), and it's fun.

A philosophical work.......2006-02-19

I first heard "Drumming" on my car radio (of all places, of course it was probably WBAI-FM in New York) when it first came out in the early seventies. I pulled over to the side of the road to listen, so hypnotic was its rhythm. I have the original three-LP Deutch Grammophone version (the third disk contains two other pieces), which I put on tonight for the first time in many years, and came here to Amazon in hopes of finding a DVD-based version that would play straight through without interruption. (I guess that's still in the future.)

What "Drumming" has always conjured up for me are images from fractal geometry, chaos theory, and evolution - it asserts that the human being is the product of inevitable processes of differentiation and elaboration, as subtle phase shifts produce beat frequencies and harmonics, starting with a simple syncopated drumbeat, and calling forth the existence of marimbas, flutes, glockenspeils, and eventually the human voice, in order to reach its final expression.

I'm not usually a fan of classical music - jazz is my thing, since it expresses human individuality and group cooperation with a blues-based scale that's a *harmonic* syncopation - but "Drumming" transcends musical categories. As Duke Ellington always said, there are only two kinds of music: good music and bad music.

Amazing, absolutely amazing.......2005-12-20

I could blather on about this album for a good while and since the other reviewers take you into a more in depth analysis of such an extraordinary album I'll just say this venture into minimalism is incredibly relaxing. While listening to it subconciously you seem to pick out tunes even when it sounds to be incredibly cluttered. Gradually if you're still listening by the time you pop the second CD, it becomes less aggressive, less cluttered and more peaceful, calming, tranquil and then picks the pace up yet again but still sound somewhat slightly different all the time. It's a sheer masterclass of beauty. I hate using words like that normally because it usually makes you sound like a pompous fool but this however deserves the term. It's quite simply astonishing and if you feel overly frustrated or exhausted with your life, this could prove to be the perfect tonic for those with an open mind towards music. It's a pure aural pleasure. Surrender subconsciously and the rewards are great!

Average customer rating:

mesmerising and bursting with energy
What if Picasso had been a musician?
A Must Have!

Steve Reich Drumming
Composer: Steve Reich , and Performer: So Percussion
Manufacturer: Cantaloupe
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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From The Kitchen, Archives No. 2: Steve Reich and Musicians, Live 1977
Amid the Noise
Sextet/Six Marimbas
Reich: Tehillim / The Desert Music

ASIN: B0007QJ1XY
Release Date: 2005-03-08

Tracks:

Drumming, Pt. 1
Drumming, Pt. 2
Drumming, Pt. 3
Drumming, Pt. 4

Amazon.com

Once a fringe composer, Steve Reich is now part of the musical mainstream. His progress as a composer over the decades is impressive, but some of his earlier major works still stand as milestones, and Drumming is one of the best. Inspired by his drumming studies in Ghana, Drumming is a lengthy piece for percussion, sometimes reinforced by voices. It's thrilling to hear in person, and mesmerisingly involving even on recordings. (Don't listen to it while you're driving!) It's great that Reich's music is being taken up by young performers, and this new recording by So Percussion has many virtues, including lots of energy and very clear recording. It also uses singers who have worked with Reich (including the amazing Jay Clayton). Overdubbing parts doesn't seem to matter much either way. Unfortunately, the recording has a major, disqualifying flaw. The high-pitched opening of Part 3 becomes an undifferentiated hash in this performance, losing vital rhythmic definition. Both of Reich's recordings get this part (and everything else) right; the earlier version on Deutsche Grammophon uses the maximum repeats, in this case a real virtue. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

mesmerising and bursting with energy.......2005-07-07

First a blatant confession: I have been a huge fan of Steve Reich's music for many years, having been exposed to it by a musical friend who later encouraged me to learn and perform Reich's 'Piano Phase'. Another reviewer has given an excellent description of Reich's 'phasing' technique so I won't reiterate it here.
I saw So Percussion perform this piece at Columbia University's Miller Theatre in March 2005 and was stunned at their precision, energy and enthusiasm. I expect to see this ensemble go far! While I haven't heard the DG 2-CD recording of Drumming referred to by Amazon's editorial review, I don't find the start of Part III to be an undifferentiated hash in So's version; there is slight aural haze caused by the overtones and resonance of the glockenspiels but the rhythmic definition and drive is still perfectly audible. Another advantage of this recording is that it preserves most of the length of 'Drumming' (~73 mins vs ~85 mins on the 2-CD set) without the nuisance of having to change CDs midway. Unbroken concentration is a vital ingredient in the spell of the piece.

If you're a fan of Reich's music I would also recommend Cantaloupe's recording of Tehillim / The Desert Music with Alan Pierson conducting; having purchased a recording of Tehillim on the Nonesuch label with Reinbert de Leeuw conducting several years ago, I thought I didn't like Tehillim much... until I heard the clarity and drive of Alan Pierson's interpretation!

What if Picasso had been a musician?.......2005-04-26

There's a lot of talent out there in the world of percussion, given the recent growth of the genre and its literature. New percussion groups are popping up all over the place, debuting great new music and putting new spins on the great older pieces.

But to pull off Steve Reich's "Drumming" with such precision and clarity is a whole other kind of talent. It's a talent of the rarest kind, one that very few groups have. The So Percussion Group has that talent, and nothing shows it off so well as this recording.

I saw the group perform Part I of Drumming in Nashville last fall, and it was an incredible experience, as is listening to this recording. This CD is by far the best version of "Drumming" available. The phasing is mind-bendingly precise and is like nothing else out there.

For those not familiar with this piece, the basic concept behind it is the aforementioned process of "phasing." Two players are playing an identical rhythm, then one player begins to push the tempo ever so slightly while the other one holds steady. The effect of this is that at first the notes sound together in unison, then they begin to sound a little muddy, then as if every note is actually preceded by a grace note. As the two tempos pull further from each other there occurs a sudden moment of pure aural bliss as one player's beats occur exactly at the halfway point between the other player's beats. Up at a fast tempo the effect of this is dumbfounding. As the accelerating player continues to pull away, the notes begin to sound muddy again until the player arrives at a destination spot exactly one beat in the measure ahead of the first player. So you end up with two players playing the same pattern, one a beat ahead of the other.

So Percussion pulls this off better than anyone else out there. Some recordings of this phase shift feel like they are jumping from one chunk of the phase to the next: from unision, to grace notes, to 16th notes, back to grace notes, and then to the final destination. The shifting between each of those stages is rushed because, well, it's insanely difficult to pull off. In contrast, So Percussion's recording is like a machine, like two slightly-off clocks or the original tape loops that gave Reich this concept in the first place. The phase shifting is drawn out and takes its mind-rippingly sweet time, a truly gradual phase that leaves you feeling like your brain has just been ripped down the middle and pulled in two different directions. It's aural relativity, the sound of being in two different times at once. It's what Picasso would have done if he was a musician, asking what it would be like to HEAR from multiple perspectives, as opposed to seeing from them. It's something that must be heard to be believed.

Keep an eye on these guys. Their break-through debut record was of the utmost quality, as is this follow-up, and who knows where these boys will go next. But one thing is for sure: they have a long and incredible career ahead of them.

A Must Have!.......2005-03-09

This is an incredible album, even better than their first cd, which I loved as well. It is by far the best recording that exists of Reich's Drumming.

Average customer rating:

Boring and unimaginative
Children of Reich Create Loving Homage
Decent, but disappointing overall.
Great music for an electronic fan
Proxy for a Reich's Greatest Hits CD?

Reich Remixed

Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Steve Reich: Music for 18 Musicians

ASIN: B00000I5LV
Release Date: 1999-03-02

Tracks:

Music For 18 Musicians (Coldcut Remix) - Steve Reich
Eight Lines (Howie B Remix) - Bang On A Can/Bradley Lubman
The Four Sections (Andrea Parker Remix) - London Symphony Orchestra/Michael Tilson Thomas
Megamix (Tranquility Bass Remix) - Steve Reich/London Symphony Orchestra/Michael Tilson Thomas/Theatre Of Voices...
Drumming (Mantronik Maximum Drum Formula) - Steve Reich
Proverb (Nobukazu Takemura Remix) - Theatre Of Voices
Piano Phase (D*Note's Phased & Konfused Mix) - Double Edge
City Life (DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid Open Circuit) - The Steve Reich Ensemble/Bradley Lubman
Come Out (Ken Ishii Remix) - Steve Reich
Bonus Track 1 - Various Artists

Amazon.com

The beauty of Steve Reich's minimalist compositions can be found not in their repetition but in their evolution. Listening to the Kronos Quartet perform Different Trains, the listener quickly gets over the camp value of the conductor samples to discover an unfolding theme that harks back not only to bustling industrialism but also to the horror of the Nazi concentration-camp trains. Reich is a master of such subtle changes in sonics, and his impeccable timing turns simple phrases into musical tapestries. On Reich Remixed, some of dance music's more innovative artists pay homage to the composer in the way they know best: by sampling his works and remixing them into their own. Coldcut's take on Music for 18 Musicians adds a fast-paced techno flair to the classic composition, Howie B's Eight Lines respectfully keeps the integrity of the original piece, and Tranquility Bass peppers "Megamix" with voices and (eventually) beats. There are some misses here, and, most unfortunate, DJ Spooky's schizophrenic treatment of City Life lobotomizes a previously fine composition. No, you still can't dance to Reich, but you can see how others use him for source material. But after hearing these condensed and diced versions, you might find it's worth delving back into Reich's originals to hear what the fuss is all about. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Boring and unimaginative.......2005-07-13

My opinion is that this compilation doesn't glorify Reich or electronica. I used to think that most techno enthusiasts and maybe even techno composers had probably never heard of him. While I've come to learn that this isn't true, I think this CD would be a good argument in favor of it. I certainly didn't expect Reich Remixed to compare with the originals. And there is certainly nothing wrong with a tribute. But everything here is against Reich's style, both too fast and too simple.

The Coldcut remix of Steve Reich's 18, unfortunately the best track on the disk, is laughable in comparison and a warning against the tracks that follow. After reading the reviews for the original Music for 18 Musicians, there are several people who can say nothing except that it is slow and boring. I think you might as well include Coldplay in that number. It is as if he recorded himself skipping forward through the first 5 or so minutes of the original and smiled at his creation.

He isn't the only one who obviously missed the point. Most of the remixes use some of the cheapest sounding instruments and methods I've heard; these aren't just bad tributes to Reich, they are bad tributes to techno! And don't expect to hear phasing, which was introduced for the first time in Come Out and Drumming, in their remixes. That would require at least some trivial knowledge of Reich's contribution to minimalism, which these artists obviously do not have. And anyway, Reich used much more than rhythmic, vocal/musical repetition and staccato notes, let's get that straight.

I wasted my money on this one. If you haven't been introduced to Reich, I envy you! Try Music for 18 Musicians and Different Trains, many agree that those are among Reich's most powerful pieces.

Children of Reich Create Loving Homage.......2005-04-16

The entrancing hobby of looping gave birth to essencially all forms of techno in existence today, and all followers should be thankful Steve Reich's cassette tapes messed up one day to create a looping effect. He soon became obsessed with overlapping sounds and varying tempos, a basic foundation for modern day electronic music. Such is the reason why a wide variety of artists came together to create a tribute album to this obscure classical composer, and the end result is a diamond in the rough.

If "Reich Remixed" has any style permeating through the whole album, it is the esoteric sounds of trance. Each track brings in a sentimental mourning, but also sings out hosannas of joy, hailing the appreciation of the father of techno. Tranquility Bass's "Megamix", succeeding fully in painting a mural of Reich's repertoire, Coldcut's loving recreation of "Music for 18 Musicians", and Howie B's "Eight Lines" tribute will draw you in with their joyful melodies. Yet darkness lies ahead as well. Andrea Parker brings in a creepy Trip-Hop version of "The Four Sections", perfect for committing a bank robbery if you get off on that. The bonus track from freQ Nasty & B.L.I.M. has the rough sound of Drum n' Bass without corrupting the original message, although it sounds a bit out of place on this album. The masterpiece is Nobukazu Takemura's "Proverb", which stacks the voices in one loop, which will make one double check the CD for scratches. It not only holds true to what Reich was attempting, but re-interprets.

To those who were already die-hard Reich fans, a word of caution. This CD will sound repititive, perhaps even like cheap rip-offs of the original tracks, as they cannot possibly recreate the massive pieces Reich composed in six or seven minutes of CD time. As well, there are slip-ups. "City Life" is butchered to pieces and essentially impossible to enjoy, and "Come Out" only highlights the limitations of techno's possibilities to create as compared to pen, paper, and a symphony orchestra.

The album explores techno's creative possibilities to new levels, and is an aural treat. Consider it Reich's first DJing experience, changing the world of music in the same way his originals shook the ear drums.

Highs: Techno symphony, with the same variety as an orchestra, skillfully mixed, loving and appropriate recreations of Reich's original masterpieces.
Lows: Reich's originals are better, sometimes butchered here, same repitive downfall of techno at times.
The Score: A-, Reich not Lost in Techno Translation.

Decent, but disappointing overall........2002-01-05

There are a few really good tracks on this CD. My personal favorites are Music for 18 Musicians, Four Sections, the Megamix, and Piano Phase. The Desert Music remix (the bonus track) is okay, not great, but okay. And then there's the bottom end of the spectrum, which is everything else. Unfortunately, what I like is overpowered by what I dislike.

Great music for an electronic fan.......2001-10-04

I enjoyed every one of these pieces on their own. I am familiar with most of the electronic artists and each one of these songs is beautiful. I had never heard Steve Reich's music before this. I enjoyed his music but, I didn't think that the remixes were completely true to his form. Reich's music has some good ideas that the remixer's somewhat expanded upon. I think the idea was to take some of Reich's ideas and put it in to a more modern style. If they wanted someone to rehash his ideas, then it would have been boring. I enjoy these artists, but there are artists out there that are using some of his ideas already, namely Plastikman and Tortoise. Overall the songs are great in any sense.

Proxy for a Reich's Greatest Hits CD?.......2001-06-16

Of all modern classical composers, Steve Reich is the one whose music is most likely to attract the rock-oriented ear. 'Music for 18 Musicians' was a ground-breaking album which closed out the 1970s, and it took much of the audience that had been nurtured on Tangerine Dream's 'Ricochet' and, before that, Mike Oldfield's 'Tubular Bells'. It was only to be expected that other artists would start sampling Reich's works.

I can't get enough of 'Music for 18 Musicians' -- I bought it on LP in 1979, and two versions on CD. It is my No. 1 self-hypnosis album. So I was intrigued to discover how it would be re-worked for this album. I was disappointed, frankly. The Coldcut Remix provides no evidence that the DJ has listened beyond the first five minutes of the original.

But there's no heresy in modifying Reich's music. I welcome every effort to do so. I knew about half of the pieces selected here, so, for me, it's partly a Reich sampler. The great thing about the album is that not only did it get me buying more of Reich's output, but it also got me listening more to the originals.

For me, the stand-out track here is 'Piano Phase', which applies prog-rock values to a piece I didn't know at all well. It could so easily be Rick Wakeman or Keith Emerson playing the synth lines over the piano loop!

The opening track has grown on me over the years. At first listen, the Megamix seemed to have too many different samples crowded in; it seemed too ambitious in searching for common musical themes between no fewer than nine of Reich's albums. But now it flows nicely.

The closing track, supposedly based on the Desert Music, is a straightforward techno track, almost Prodigy-like, whose relationship to Reich's music seems entirely tangential.

I believe every Reich fan should hear this album, even though a few will find perhaps nothing to like. And I'd recommend anyone who buys this album without knowing Reich to listen also to 'Different Trains', 'Electric Counterpoint', and of course, 'Music for 18 Musicians'.

Tracks:

Come Out
Piano Phase
It's Gonna Rain, Part I
It's Gonna Rain, Part II
Four Organs

Tracks:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Tracks:

Music For Mallet Instruments, Voices And Organ
Clapping Music
Six Marimbas

Tracks:

Music For 18 Musicians: Pulses
Music For 18 Musicians: Section I
Music For 18 Musicians: Section II
Music For 18 Musicians: Section IIIA
Music For 18 Musicians: Section IIIB
Music For 18 Musicians: Section IV
Music For 18 Musicians: Section V
Music For 18 Musicians: Sectionn VI
Music For 18 Musicians: Section VII
Music For 18 Musicians: Section VIII
Music For 18 Musicians: Section IX
Music For 18 Musicians: Section X
Music For 18 Musicians: Section XI
Music For 18 Musicians: Pulses

Tracks:

Eight Lines
Tehillim: Part 1: Fast
Tehillim: Part 2: Fast
Tehillim: Part 3: Slow
Tehillim: Part 4: Fast

Tracks:

The Desert Music: First Movement
The Desert Music: Second Movement
The Desert Music: Third Movement, Part One
The Desert Music: Third Movement, Part Two
The Desert Music: Third Movement, Part Three
The Desert Music: Fourth Movement
The Desert Music: Fifth Movement

Tracks:

Works: New York Counterpoinnt: Fast
Works: New York Counterpoint: Slow
Works: New York Counterpoint: Fast
Works: Sextet: 1st Movement
Works: Sextet: 2nd Movement
Works: Sextet: 3rd Movement
Works: Sextet: 4th Movement
Works: Sextet: 5th Movement
Works: I. Strings
Works: II. Percussion
Works: III. Winds And Brass
Works: IV. Full Orchestra

Tracks:

Works: Different Trains - America - Before The War
Works: Different Trains - Europe - During The War
Works: Different Trains - After The War
Works: Electric Counterpoint - Fast
Works: Electric Counterpoint - Slow
Works: Electric Counterpoint - Fast
Works: Movement I
Works: Movement II
Works: Movement III

Tracks:

The Cave: Typing Music
The Cave: Who Is Abraham?
The Cave: Who Is Ishmael?
The Cave: Genesis XVIII
The Cave: Genesis XXI
The Cave: The Casting Out Of Ishmael And Hager
The Cave: Machpelah
The Cave: Genesis XXV
The Cave: Interior Of The Cave
The Cave: Surah 3
The Cave: El Khalil Commentary
The Cave: Who Is Abraham?W
The Cave: Who Is Sarah?
The Cave: Who Is Hagar?
The Cave: Who Is Ishmael?
The Cave: The Binding Of Isaac
The Cave: The Cave Of Machpelah

Tracks:

Proverb
Nagoya Marimbas
City Life: 'Check It Out'
City Life: Pile Driver - alarms
City Life: 'It's Been A Honeymoon - Can't Take No Mo'
City Life: Heartbeats - Boats & Buoys
City Life: 'Heavy Smoke'

Amazon.com essential recording

In the afterglow of his 60th birthday in 1997, Nonesuch Records delivered Steve Reich and his listeners an immense gift, this 10-CD retrospective of his work for the label, extending from his earliest tape-manipulation pieces to his most recent compositions utilizing samplers and the video artistry of Beryl Korot. Aside from the ear's liquid sense-making when it hears the dense and limber marimbas of Reich's Six Marimbas or his taut, dizzying Piano Phase, there is a physical response almost inevitable in Reich's music. It stuns and holds you. And he knows it. It's Gonna Rain struck an early chord of inventiveness, featuring an African American Pentecostal preacher's sermon and eventually spinning the title phrase into a jangling repetition of single words. Percussion works abound here: Clapping and Drumming stun with their deceptive similarity and warm clarity. Perennial favorite Piano Phase features pianists Nurit Tilles and Eduard Neumann synched up on two pianos and careening at full tilt in unison before their four hands fall out of time and phrase with each other, only to realign in a powerful swooping demonstration of energy and focus. The latter CDs hold abundant delights, many revealing Reich's late-discovered spiritualism and Judaica: Different Trains' examination of the Holocaust; Tehillim's shimmering Hebrew texts sung with fascinating choral power; Proverb's invocation of Perotin. Closing the set are recent pieces: Nagoya Marimbas, and the sampler-rich City Life and The Cave. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

Classic, but not the definitive..........2004-05-20

While a multi CD collection spanning 30 years does sound very promsing, Nonesuch cannot offer all of the best recordings of some of Reich's masterpieces (Music for 18 Musicians or Drumming), and some have been missed out completely (Music for a Large Ensemble), presumably because the piece was not recorded under the Nonesuch label. While the collection is formidable, a listener wanting to hear the best recordings of all the pieces might do better seeking out the older (or longer!) recordings of the pieces.

Essential.......1999-02-24

The term "essential" gets thrown about too much. And heck, the claim that certain words get thrown about too much gets thrown about too much. But here is a collection that really *is* essential to understanding the nature of a whole shift not just in classical music, but in popular music and indeed in popular culture. So many of Reich's ideas and concepts have become so deeply embedded in current classical music, film scoring (any number of examples, but think about Tangerine Dream's score for "Risky Business" and Hans Zimmer's score for "Thin Red Line," for starters), electronic music and even the visual arts.

This box set gives the listener all of Reich's major works. I can't even attempt to describe them individually, but every one of these 10 CDs is compelling. For the totally uninitiated, take out "Music for 18 Musicians" (presented here in a crystalline new recording) to get an idea of what the core of this guy is all about. From there, you might want to listen to "Different Trains," "Electric Counterpoint" and "Six Marimbas" to get an idea of the pointillistic pulse minimalism that Reich contributed to the world. The earlier material is the more challenging, exploring the subtleties of rythym, phase relationships between sounds and shifting timings. Among these, the new recording of "Four Organs" is just outstanding.

Tracks:

Six Pianos
Pendulum Music
Violin Phase
Music for Pieces of Wood
Drumming - Part Four

Product Description

The Kitchen, an interdisciplinary organization known for its commitment to experimental work has an archive of audio and video recordings that cover its three decade existence. Orange Mountain Music in collaboration with The Kitchens curators have found several wonderful recordings and among them are these made by Steve Reich & Musicians, Live 1977.

From The Kitchen Archives - New Music New York 1979

Average customer rating:

From The Kitchen Archives - New Music New York 1979

Manufacturer: Orange Mountain Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Criss Cross (Jon Gibson)
Where We Are (Garrett List)
Schoolwork (Gordon Mumma)
The Kim and I (George Lewis)
Five Orchestral Pieces for Opus Tree (Michael Nyman)
The Tuning Meditation (Pauline Oliveros)

Tracks:

Secret Songs (Tom Johnson)
Secret Songs (Tom Johnson)
Secret Songs (Tom Johnson)
Dream Song/Vision Chant (Charlie Morrow)
Exchanges (Barbary Benary)
Four Arthurs/Two Octaves and a Fifth (Phill Niblock)
Touch Tones (David Behrman)
Solo (Joel Chadabe)
Untitled Pieces (Tony Conrad)
Untitled for Solo Voice (Charlemagne Palestine)
Drumming, Part One (Steve Reich)

Album Description

Founded in 1971 by video artists Woody and Steina Vasulka, The Kitchen is internationally known as a leading center for video, music, dance, performance, new media and literature. The first institution to focus exclusively on cutting-edge, multidisciplinary works, it has been a powerful force in shaping the cultural landscape of this country. Over the last thirty years The Kitchen has documented every one of its performances with video and/or audiotape. However, in recent years much of this documentation, primarily recorded on what are now obsolete formats, began deteriorating. In 1999, under the leadership of Executive Director Elise Bernhardt, and with the dedication of The Kitchen9s Board of Directors and the help of numerous donors, The Kitchen began an initiative to catalog and re-master its extensive collection of 3600 videotapes. In the fall of 2001, an additional trove of audio recordings from the 1970s was discovered. While these tapes promised rare and exciting music by such artists as John Cage, Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson, and David Tudor (in the first box alone!), none of this material could be accessed without proper cleaning and re-formatting and the funds and facilities to do so. A recent collaborative partnership with The Looking Glass Studios and Philip Glass9 label, Orange Mountain Music, has allowed for the restoration of a number of audio reels. This work has been done with the goal of producing a series of CDs, From The Kitchen Archives, with New Music, New York 1979 as the first release. This 2-disc set offers re-mastered recordings from the landmark New Music, New York: A Festival of Composers and their Music, held at the Kitchen9s 484 Broome Street space in SoHo from June 8-16, 1979. The festival, which set a standard for new and contemporary music, paved the way for New Music America, the annual event that emerged the following year in Minneapolis and ran in various cities until 1990. Now 25 years later, these recordings are an invaluable time-capsule, a privileged view/listen into a historic event, initially heard by only a few hundred people. Beyond their historic value they offer brilliant and exciting music by composers now considered masters of the genre, as well as remarkable performances by figures nearly forgotten. While many recordings from the festival could be restored, several gaps remain: concerts that were either not recorded or whose tapes vanished into the ether of the last 25 years. That said, we feel extremely fortunate to be able to release New Music, New York 1979 as our first CD in a series that promises to make available more lost treasures from The Kitchen Archives, uncovering the origins of new music today.

Average customer rating:

A Masterpiece Sampler
Eclectic Feast

Late in the 20th Century, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Percussion | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

John Adams: The Dharma at Big Sur/My Father Knew Charles Ives
John Adams - Harmonielehre · The Chairman Dances · Tromba lontana · Short Ride in a Fast Machine / Sir Simon Rattle
Adams: Violin Concerto/Shaker Loops

ASIN: B000005IYQ
Release Date: 1991-06-25

Tracks:

White Man Sleeps #1 - Kevin Volans
The Chairman Dances - John Adams
Pilentze Pee - John Adams
Spillane - John Zorn
Hattie Wall - Hamiet Bluiett
This New Generation - Wayne Horvitz
Garota De Ipanema - Antonio Carlos Jobim
John Somebody - Scott Johnson
Company Part I - Philip Glass
Company Part II - Philip Glass
Ionisation - Edgar Varese
Chohun And Gyamaduclu - Edgar Varese
Tong Geret - Idjah Hadidjah
Drumming Part IV - Steve Reich

Customer Reviews:

A Masterpiece Sampler.......2001-08-12

This CD is a real classic among enthusiasts of Late 20th Century Music. It offers jazz, contemporary, and even minimalist genres of music. John Somebody started out as my favorite selection from this CD many years ago, as it makes a good example of spoken word turned into music. In addition, the Philip Glass selections make a wonderful introduction to his music. I could go on and on about all of the music on this Sampler, as all of it is excellent.

I highly recommend this CD to anyone who is either an enthusiast of late 20th century music or anyone who is curious. My disclaimer, however, comes in that this is not for someone who is not open to new things. Some of the music on this CD can be like an acquired taste. In the meantime, enjoy!

Eclectic Feast.......2000-03-24

Every piece on this album is strikingly original. In fact, I have purchased 4 other albums from the artists on this CD just to hear more of what they have to offer! Should appeal to lovers of world music, jazz and classical.

Reich: Drumming, Six Pianos, Music for Mallet Instruments

Average customer rating:

Sound quality issues
Definitive recordings of all pieces...
vast
Forget Nonesuch - this is the definitive version of Drumming

Reich: Drumming, Six Pianos, Music for Mallet Instruments
Steve Reich
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Minimal Techno | Techno | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000026D3A
Release Date: 1989-07-21

Tracks:

Drumming, Pt. 1 - Bob Becker, Russ Hartenberger, James Preiss
Drumming, Pt. 2 - Bob Becker, , , Tim Ferchen, Ben Harms, Russ Hartenberger, Martin Laba, Steve Reich, Glen Velez

Tracks:

Drumming, Pt. 3 - Bob Becker, Russ Hartenberger, James Preiss, Steve Reich, Leslie Scott, Glen Velez
Drumming, Pt. 4 - Bob Becker, , , Tim Ferchen, Ben Harms, Russ Hartenberger, James Preiss, Steve Reich, Glen Velez

Customer Reviews:

Sound quality issues.......2004-08-29

I agree with other reviewers on the music. Be aware that, IMHO, the sound quality on the other tracks besides Drumming is not optiomal. I hear real tape hiss on Six Pianos. Music for Mallets... is available on a nice recording with The Four Sections and the recording is not that different than this. Also, LPs of this original recording can be had on ebay for around $25.

Look for alternative modern recording of Drumming by Symergy that is a fast, but very accurate INHO, recording of the classic piece without extremely close mic'ing, which I think has not helped the aural soundscape of Reich's peices. Many more modern recordings have moved farther and farther away from the sound in live performance and have lost the spirit of these pieces.

Definitive recordings of all pieces..........2004-06-14

This is a brilliant insight into some of Reich's percussive works, with well played versions of each piece - who would expect less from Reich's own ensemble? Not much needs to be said for Drumming - this is the definitive recording for Reich's groundbreaking piece. Music for Mallet Instruments is brilliantly done, with a nice balance on the instruments and voices. The same applies for Six Pianos, although I do believe Piano Circus also did a brilliant version. A definite CD to buy.

vast.......2003-04-15

These recordings of all of these pieces are a lot longer than other recordings I have of them. Each section is repeated more times. This Drumming is fantastic. The piece is so composed that the slowly changing very complex rhythms don't get boring, & the longer it lasts the better it feels. This Six Pianos comes through with clarity & strength. This long Music for Mallet Instruments, Voices, & Organ is wonderful. It's one of my favorite pieces by him. He received the music. While he was writing the rhythms, the melodies just came. It's like a plateau that's a basic statement of much of his music. Or like a geodesic dome. This cd is definitely an important Steve Reich cd to have.

Forget Nonesuch - this is the definitive version of Drumming.......2002-07-17

I had this on LP, then bought the newer Nonesuch recording when it came out - blech! This original version is much longer than the Nonesuch version, letting take in the slow changes much more deeply than the newer recording. The only drawback is that the whole piece won't fit on one CD, so you need to change CD's to hear the last part (of 4).

Six Pianos is an earlier version of Six Marmbas, Music for Mallet instruments kind of reminds me Octet. Both are very nice companion pieces to Drumming, and are a lot less 'dry'.

If you want Drumming, this is the one to get!

Average customer rating:

Incessant noise

perfect texture for a room

Hypnotic Dance/Complexity Theory

Ok, but the old DG version is much better

Good stuff

Drumming
Steve Reich
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Reich, Steve | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Jazz | Styles | Music
Minimal Techno | Techno | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Steve Reich: Music for 18 Musicians

Sextet/Six Marimbas

Reich: Different Trains, Electric Counterpoint / Kronos Quartet, Pat Metheny

Steve Reich: The Desert Music - Michael Tilson Thomas

Reich: Triple Quartet, Music for a Large Ensemble, Electric Guitar Phase

ASIN: B000005IYP
Release Date: 1992-05-28

Tracks:

Drumming: Part I
Drumming: Part II
Part III
Drumming: Part IV

Amazon.com

This was Reich's breakthrough masterpiece, inspired by his studies of African drumming. The patterns throughout this music are so powerful and hypnotic that, once you get involved, it's a shock when it ends an hour later. I have enjoyed this piece most in concert when Reich's ensemble used the maximum number of repetitions allowed (optional in the score). I regret somewhat the decision used in making this recording, which held the timing to under an hour. The first recording of Drumming ran to nearly 90 minutes. But it also ran onto a second CD, and it's no longer available. Meanwhile, for anyone open to the power of this music, this is a disc not to be missed. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Incessant noise.......2007-01-11

This is a terrible CD. It's not music, just the sound of beats that change very little over the length of the CD. I wish I had never bought it.

perfect texture for a room.......2003-03-13

This is the piece in which Reich first developed the technique of gradually replacing rests with notes & notes with rests. & he does it so well! The rhythms, & melodies, are so complex, & they get into your head. Hypnotic, beautiful, very interesting, from Reich's studies of African music. He studies music so hard. He once got malaria while in Africa studying music. Anyways, this piece is phenomenal.

Hypnotic Dance/Complexity Theory.......2003-01-12

This hour-plus piece of music is based upon a single, measure-long rhythmic fragment which lasts perhaps two seconds, but when played out-of-phase with itself generates an incredible variety of "emergent" patterns. Scored for various percussion (bongos, maribas, glockenspiel), voice, and whistle, listeners get to hear how these instruments create new emergent melodies on the fragment through the percussions' differing harmonic profiles. This is a great example of process music, and may put you in a trance. It rewards both close and relaxed listening (when one's attention is diverted then re-trained, missing one's "place" in the relentless, driving pulse, it sounds like a differently-arranged piece!)

Ok, but the old DG version is much better.......2002-07-17

Preface - Probably not for first time Reich buyers (along with Four Organs). Newcomers should get Music for 18 Musicians or Different Trains....

I have to admit I heard the old DG version first on LP many years ago, and have looked for that version on CD ever since. When this version came out, I bought it immediately. In comparison to the DG version, it doesn't hold up.

This version is at least 20 minutes shorter (perhaps a feature for some;) ) than the DG version, but the gradual changes in this version don't happen nearly gradually enough, especially the sections where different players go in and out of phase with each other. It happens so quickly here that it just sounds like the players flubbed their parts. The slower pace of the DG version makes the subtle changes in the piece that much more rewarding.

I was later able to locate a copy of the DG version on CD, and this one has been gathering dust ever since. But since no other version is available, this is worth a listen.

Good stuff.......2000-04-28

Since the old, 2CD DG recording of this piece is not available, this is the only choice. "Drumming" is a very fine work by Reich, more rigorous and less immediately lovely than "Music for 18 Musicians," but rewarding nonetheless. It's an important transition piece between his early work and "18." The first section is literally all drumming, and builds through an arch structure using Reich's technique of rhytmic patterns moving in and out of phase. The following sections add tuned percusion, e.g. marimbas, and move towards his newer style of more harmonic richness, with chords gradually building, shifting, conflicting and moving to new tonal centers. Obviously, if Reich's style of Minimalism doesn't appeal, you won't like this CD. But if you enjoy his other work, this will be a great addition to your collection.

Average customer rating:

Excellent percussion recordings

Irony

Manufacturer: Globe
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000044O7
Release Date: 1995-12-01

Tracks:

First Construction In Metal - Arnold Marinissen/Ger De Zeeuw/Murk Jiskoot/Niels Van Hoorn/Emiel Matthijsse/Michel Weekhout...
Omar: Due Pezzi: I - Arnold Marinissen
Omar: Due Pezzi: II - Arnold Marinissen
Unter The Umbrella - Arnold Marinissen/Murk Jiskoot/Ger De Zeeuw/Niels Van Hoorn/Emiel Matthijsse
Star - Arnold Marinissen/Murk Jiskoot/Ger De Zeeuw/Niels Van Hoorn
Drumming Part III - Arnold Marinissen/Frank Van Veen/Murk Jiskoot/Ger De Zeeuw/Niels Van Hoorn/Emiel Matthijsse
Clash Music (From Herbstfestival) - Arnold Marinissen/Murk Jiskoot/Ger De Zeeuw/Niels Van Hoorn

Customer Reviews:

Excellent percussion recordings.......2000-09-28

With the huge amount of terrible music for percussion out there, this CD is a breath of fresh air (for the most part). It's so nice to see a percussion group recording experimental music rather than the faux-tonal music so often found on CDs by the likes of Evelyn Glennie, Peter Sadlo, Keiko Abe, etc.

The highlight for me is Donatoni's vibraphone work, "Omar". This performance is FLAWLESS, and I mean that. His technique and musicality is astounding... even more impressive considering it's one of the most technically demanding pieces in the repertoire.

Also of note is "Clash Music" by Nicolaus A. Huber. Sadly, this is only a recording of one small section of the larger work, "Herbstfestival" for percussion quartet. For some reason there's more than one recording of Clash Music by itself but nobody has recorded the entire quartet. It's a shame because the quartet is an amazing piece.

Cage's "Third Construction" is the other high point for me, while the other pieces are somewhat less interesting. However, the bulk of the CD, as I've mentioned before, is terrific.

Music Review: