steve reich - double sextet / 2x5

as mentioned in the oval thread,

http://www.nonesuch.com/albums/double-sextet

  Quote

Nonesuch releases an album with two Steve Reich compositions—Double Sextet and 2x5—on September 14, 2010. Double Sextet—which won the Pulitzer Prize in 2009—is performed by eighth blackbird, who commissioned the piece. "Beautifully poised throughout," says the BBC, "Double Sextet stands as arguably one of Reich’s finest works." The Philadelphia Inquirer places it "among the finest pieces of our time … more than earlier Reich, it tips from exaltation to menace on a dime.” Bang on a Can perform 2x5, which premiered last summer at a velodrome in Manchester, England. The work shared a double bill with German electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk and was commissioned by MIF in association with Casa da Música (Porto). The Double Sextet score sheets available with the first 250 pre-orders have now sold out.

 

Double Sextet comprises two identical sextets of flute, clarinet, vibraphone, piano, violin, and cello. Doubling the instrumentation was done so that, as in so many of Reich’s earlier works, two identical instruments could interlock to produce one overall pattern. The composer says, “For example, in this piece you will hear the pianos and vibes interlocking in a highly rhythmic way to drive the rest of the ensemble.” The piece can be played in two ways: with 12 musicians, or with six playing against a recording of themselves.

 

Reich continues, “The idea of a single player playing against a recording of themselves goes all the way back to Violin Phase of 1967. The expansion of this idea to an entire chamber ensemble playing against pre-recordings of itself begins with Different Trains (1988). By doubling an entire chamber ensemble, one creates the possibility for multiple simultaneous contrapuntal webs of identical instruments.”

 

In 2x5, Reich expands his palate with rock instrumentation. Scored for two sets of five instruments (hence “2x5”), this 21-minute piece calls for a total of ten musicians: four electric guitars, two pianos, two bass guitars, and two drum sets. Performers can either play the piece all-live with ten musicians or with five live musicians against a pre-recorded tape, as Bang on a Can did for the premiere on the opening night of the Manchester International Festival.

 

“Clearly 2x5 is not rock and roll, but uses the same instruments. It’s an example of the essential difference between ‘classical music’ and ‘popular music.’ And that essential difference is: one is notated, and the other is not notated,” Reich says. “I had to find musicians who (A), could read, and (B), had a genuine rock feeling, and there Bang on a Can excels.”

my copy + signed manuscript arrived today. will listen soon.

:music: :music:

You're lucky.

is 2x5 just basically melodic math rock? it would have been more effective if he'd done it 20-30 years ago! still, i might pick up a copy of this, youtube clips sound amazing.

I love Music for 18 Musicians, so I may pick this up.

oh, nice. can´t wait to listen to it!

sounds great, i like the concept of using a rock band ensemble to do non rock music. I love steve reich. My sister and her boyfriend never heard of him before so i played them different trains, they were very impressed.

yea the concept sounds cool. im definitely going to check this out, i have quite a few of his pieces.

Cool, you can stream the whole thing on NPR first listen

Sounds... Reichy I really love the instrumentation he tends to lean towards, particularly vibes and marimba.

I can see double sextet live, as university of Alaska Fairbanks has a very good percussion ensemble (ensemble 64.8)

i have turned off every steve reich piece after about 5 minutes. prefer terry riley.

  On 9/14/2010 at 2:09 AM, Hanratty said:

i have turned off every steve reich piece after about 5 minutes. prefer terry riley.

comparing other minimalist composers and telling us who you prefer!

I saw 6 marimba's performed live on the warp sinfonietta tour, it was :w00t:

Pretty damn incredible.

I just ordered Steve Reich "Phases" for £15.99 as I realised I only have a few of his works and those are dodgy copies. 5CD's of fun :-)

  Quote

Disc 1

 

1. Music for 18 Musicians

 

Disc 2

 

1. Different Trains

2. Tehillim

3. Eight Lines

 

Disc 3

 

1. You Are (Variations)

2. New York Counterpoint

3. Cello Counterpoint

4. Electric Counterpoint

5. Triple Quartet

 

Disc 4

 

1. Come Out

2. Proverb

3. Desert Music

 

Disc 5

 

1. Music for Mallet Instruments, Voices, and Organ

2. Drumming

the phases box set is a great deal, but be sure to also check out 'Octet / Music for a Large Ensemble / Violin Phase' - my favorite reich album.

http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/steve_reich/octet___music_for_a_large_ensemble___violin_phase/