Stream adfree with amazon music unlimited on mobile. Music as a gradual process by steve reich 1968 i do not mean the process of composition, but rather pieces of music that are, literally, processes. Where they had a rural, workingclass upbringing on the west coast, reich was born into a wealthy, professionalclass family in cosmopolitan new york. Scribd is the worlds largest social reading and publishing site. A new approach of learning and rehearsing steve reichs. Steve reichs drumming, more than forty years after its composition, stands as a watershed document of modern music. Gradually additional drumbeats are substituted for rests, one at a time, until the pattern is completely built up. It was written just after reichs studies in ghana, inspired by the traditional communal african drumming he experienced there. The essay, as well as reich s chosen process of phasing, will be discussed in full later in this article. The first is the droning or shortterm repetition that creates. This site is based on the first section from steve reichs 1967 piece piano phase. Steve reich has followed a line of impressive consistency through more than four decades, developing the pulsed iterations of us minimalism into music of ever greater intricacy and range without. Steve reichs piano phase performed and visualized in the browser.
Robert schwarz describes the work as minimalisms first masterpiece. The distinctive thing about musical processes is that they determine all the notetonote soundtosound details and the over all form simultaneously. Performed by steve reich and musicians 1987, duration 56. A new approach of learning and rehearsing steve reichs drumming. For now, suffice it to say that this primacy of structure, apparent to some extent in all of reich s music, is the aspect of his work that most gives in an intellectually and.
In todays post, technology and performance combine in a lesson plan based on one of the most simple yet effective pieces. His innovations include using tape loops to create phasing patterns, as on the early compositions its gonna rain 1965 and come out. Steve reich, drumming, analyse free download as pdf file. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. He is a pioneer of minimalism, although his music has increasingly deviated from a purely minimalist style. The distinctive thing about musical processes is that they determine all the notetonote soundtosound details and. Jan 17, 2016 performed by steve reich and musicians 1987, duration 56. Music for 18 musicians is approximately 55 minutes long. This article, which has been reprinted several times,38 must be examined in detail, as it is here that reich clarifies all the trends that have been developing in his. Together with terry riley and philip glass, he was one of the founders of minimalism in the 1960s, and he has been at the forefront of american. Drumming marimba art murphy, ben harms, frank maefsky, james ogden, james preiss, jon gibson 2, russ hartenberger, steve chambers, steve reich voice jay clayton, joan labarbara, judy sherman c.
Performance practice in the music of steve reich by. The version recorded for elektranonesuch in 1987 ranks among reichs masterpieces. Without steve reichs rhythms, pulses and phasing, contemporary culture would be a much poorer place tom service. Oct 03, 2016 steve reich celebrates his 80th birthday today.
Violin phase is an example of reichs phasing technique, previously used in its gonna rain, come out, reed phase, and piano phase, in which the music itself is created not by the instruments but by interactions of temporal variations on an original melody. In his minimal compositional techniques, reich applied the oral music. Written to accompany second inversions steve reich 80th birthday marathon, october 3, 2016 classic minimalism. A highly influential avantgarde composer and one of the key founders of the minimalist school of music. What was it about steve reichs drumming that brought the audience to its feet at the museum of modern art on december 3. Music for 18 musicians by steve reich 1936 sheet music. That vibraphone is soon echoed by another vibraphone. Two pianists repeat the same twelve note sequence, but one gradually speeds up. Pendulum music by steve reich for microphones, amplifiers. He readily speaks of his time in ghana as one of the seminal formative experiences of his career, and the anlo ewe 128 bellpattern is in many ways his signature motive. Simply put, drumming is, along with some of philip glass einstein on the beach, one of the most fascinating pieces of firstgeneration minimalism. The first sketches were made for it in may 1974 and it was completed in march 1976. Complete remastered reissue of the original 1974 3lp release. Although its steady pulse and rhythmic energy relate to many of my earlier works, its instrumentation, structure and harmony are new.
Exploring biographical, hermeneutic, aesthetic, and political implications, it attempts to shed light on the composers early years. In 1968, steve reich codified his compositional aesthetic in the single most important essay he has ever written, music as a gradual process. Like most children of his economic class, reich had. Steve reich, drumming, analyse rhythm music theory. Recorded in hamburg rahlstedt, musikstudio 1, january 1974. In 1972, composer steve reich born 1936 decided to compose a piece that in his words needs no instruments beyond the human body. The simple fact that musicians had performed intricate rhythms. This pattern undergoes changes of phase position, pitch, and timbre, but all the performers play this pattern, or some part of it, throughout the entire piece. Reichs innovations include using tape loops to create phasing patterns examples are his early compositions, its gonna rain and come out, and the use of processes to create and explore musical. Steve reichs music for 18 musicians as a soundscape composition. Information sur lelectronique dispositif electronique. Well chosen set and order july 25, 2016 by james c.
Drumming is a piece by minimalist composer steve reich, dating from 19701971. Premiered on november 1st 2016, steve reichs new work pulse. There is a nice development with the ordering of these three performances, and with that the 43 minutes is a splendid length. The second performer should keep his or her downbeat where it is written, on the first beat of.
A new game based on steve reichs iconic clapping music lets anyone improve their rhythm in 1972 i composed a piece called clapping. There is, then, only one basic rhythmic pattern for all of drumming. Throughout four segued movements it is multiplied, played in canon on various percussion instruments. The first section of steve reichs 1978 composition music for 18 musicians begins with a pulsing vibraphone, pounding out notes every quarter beat.
In the late 1980s, i was a high school student whose only real access to new music came on saturdays. Experience the cascading passages of reich s iconic work as jonathan. This site is based on the first section from steve reich s 1967 piece piano phase. Drumming by steve reich 1936 sheet music for percussion.
A masterpiece of late20thcentury minimalist music, drumming is a study in percussion with layers of repeated patterns played on bongos, marimbas, and glockenspiels, with piccolo and voice. Steve reich clapping music for two performers 1972 directions for performance the number of repeats is fixed at 12 repeats per bar. October 6, 2006 minimalist composer steve reich, who celebrated his 70th birthday last week, is considered one of our foremost living composers. Steve reich is the first to acknowledge the influence of nonwestern music on his work. Steve reich came from a background very different from youngs and rileys. Listen to your favorite songs from drumming by steve reich now. In its ambitious scope, intellectual rigor, and artistic seriousness, this piece, along with terry rileys in c and philip glasss music in twelve parts, went a long way toward establishing minimalisms quickly expanding influence in the early 1970s. In a special collaboration with monday evening concerts, the getty museum is thrilled to present steve reich s 1971 composition drumming. Steve reichs sketches for variations for winds, strings and keyboards, with some thoughts on their significance for the analysis of the composers harmonic language in the late 1970s. Steve reich drumming san francisco contemporary music.
Violin phase is an example of reich s phasing technique, previously used in its gonna rain, come out, reed phase, and piano phase, in which the music itself is created not by the instruments but by interactions of temporal variations on an original melody. Drumming part one by steve reich is the first movement of what has been described as minimalisms first masterpiece, playable by four percussionists. Steve reich steve reich and musicians drumming six. Music for 18 musicians by steve reich used with permission by hendon music. Stephen michael reich born october 3, 1936 in new york city is an american composer.
Nyo canada chamber music concert jun 24, 2016 recital hall, wilfrid laurier university steve reich drumming part 1 percussionists. The first and last sections, both named pulses, are the beginning or end of the cycle, depending on how you listen to the piece. Music for 18 musicians is undoubtedly reichs answer to an alienated audiences cries for help. Steve reichs drumming with monday evening concerts. Drumming part one study score by steve reich percussion. The essay, as well as reichs chosen process of phasing, will be discussed in full later in this article.
Pendulum music by steve reich for microphones, amplifiers speakers and performers three, four or more microphones are suspended from the ceiling or from microphone boom stands by their cables so that they all hang the same distance from the floor and are all free to swing with a pendular motion. Steve reich a ecouter sur deezer musique en streaming. The 60minute continuous work features one basic rhythm pattern. Drumming part one by steve reich begins with two drummers building up the basic rhythmic pattern of the entire piece from a single drum beat, played in a cycle of twelve beats with rests on all the other beats. Balinese music and steve reich in depth drowned in sound. Its original release was performed by the kronos quartet and won the grammy award for best classical contemporary composition in 1989. Percussion, percussion ensemble sheet music book by steve reich 1936. Matt moore part 1 josh wynnyk part 2 joel houghtby part. Reich began composition of the work after a short visit to ghana and observing music and musical ensembles there, especially under the anlo ewe master drummer gideon alorwoyie. Oct 22, 2012 without steve reich s rhythms, pulses and phasing, contemporary culture would be a much poorer place tom service. Originally published on december 9, 1971 its not very often that a long complex piece of new music receives a standing ovation. Violin phase is a musical work written by minimalist composer steve reich in october 1967 structure. The duration of the piece should be approximately 5 minutes. At the time when reich was working on drumming, he began to depart from.
Stream adfree with amazon music unlimited on mobile, desktop, and tablet. Drums art murphy, james preiss, steve chambers drums, voice steve reich. Reich s views on the music making process more deeply than it did the specific ways in which he worked with rhythm. In drumming, reich to quote his own presentation in the booklet of the dg release brought to the final refinement his phrasing technique in which two or three identical instruments playing the same repeating melodic pattern gradually move out of synchronization with each other, but the work also introduced several new techniques. Steve reich s piano phase performed and visualized in the browser. This paper is a documentation of my study of african polyrhythmics and its possible overlaps with and connections to steve reich s drumming. Different trains is a threemovement piece for string quartet and tape written by steve reich in 1988. Winds, strings, piano and electric bass epitomizes 51 years of compositional. Steve reichs music for 18 musicians hereafter referred to in the abbreviated. Steve reich, music for 18 musicians full performance with. Steve reichs clapping music consists of a rhythmic pattern played by two.
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