Steve Reich: Daniel Variations
|
Music CD Cover Composer: Steve Reich Conductor: Grant Gershon Conductor: Alan Pierson Orchestra: London Sinfonietta Edition: Music CD Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language) CD Release Date: 2008-04-08 Music Label: Nonesuch Soundtracks:
|
| New | New Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $8.23 | ||
| Used | Used Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $6.49 |
Your purchase is protected by the A-to-z Safe Buying Guarantee. Amazon.com automatically transfers your payment to the merchant so you'll never need to pay a merchant directly. Amazon.com A-to-z Safe Buying Guarantee covers both the delivery of your item and its condition upon receipt.
Free Music Notes for Steve Reich: Daniel Variations Album
Free Music Review: More from Steve Reich
Hit: 4 Stars
To say that a "Minimalist" composer repeats himself is a bit of a tautology. Of the three composers most often associated with Minimalism (Riley, Reich, and Glass), each has had a unique compositional arch in their work. Riley, invigorated by his relationship with the Kronos Quartet and his own continued work as a performer, has poured his creativity into a wide-range of projects and pieces, flexing his stylistic muscles with each new project. Glass (in my opinion) has been stuck in a rut for two decades now, and I keep waiting for that brilliant, unexpected flash of genius to happen. (Hey, it happened to Matisse, why not Philip Glass?) Reich's process has been - like his music - more measured. The early loop-based works evolved gradually into complex ensemble pieces (reaching an apex in Music for 18 Musicians). The re-involvement of text that happened first in Different Trains prompted an unexpected direction and led to some remarkable works, and a darkening tonal palette more consistent with European music than American minimalism. Reich has continued to evolve new works out of an interface of his ensemble practices and his text-based pieces, most interestingly when collaborating with his wife Beryl Korot on video/theater projects. This new CD is not filled with surprises: it contains a moving choral work written as a memorial to Daniel Pearl, and an engaging instrumental ensemble piece. If listeners are expecting a stylistic revelation (that flash of genius referred to earlier), they'll be disappointed. If, on the other hand, you enjoy Reich's work, and want to listen to more consistently engaging and well-crafted music from one of the great composers of our age, then I don't think this disc will disappoint.