Members Magpel Posted May 21, 2008 Members Share Posted May 21, 2008 I've got Rhapsody you know, and I listen while I work. Find I can't listen to vocal music, 'cause my work is writing and editing. When I am writing I can't listen to anything but when I edit I can occupy part of my mind with music. Today, I thought some minimalism might be cool, so I'm playing the Steve Reich compilation "Phases." Very cool. A bit too involving at first to use as editing music, but now I am acclimated...'cause this album is endless! I swear it has been playing for two hours already with no sign of slowing down. Must be a four or five CD set. I try to imagine that its repetition and always shifting, subtle re-alignments of pattern and emphasis are doing something for me. I generally scoff at the the kind of new age idea that music is something you take for it's effect. Of course I realize that music does have neuro-chemical effects, and that there is the possibility that these can be specifically exploited by composers. I just kind of think of that as the "low road" in a way. Music for me is much more about challenge, tension and resolution, etc. But I am secretly hoping the Steve Reich is kinda reprogramming me right now, as I write, 'cause I think I could use some kind of brainwave realignment. My self-care has been poor lately. I feel creeping depression even as I am as musically active as I have been in years...I work at home. I am not dressed up for the world...I am getting old, too...come on Steve, rewire me! I am ready! Anyway, cheers to Reich (in my ever contentious opinion, he smokes Glass...and I don't mean glass pipes...though he may smoke those as well...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ed A. Posted May 21, 2008 Members Share Posted May 21, 2008 "Music For 18 Musicians" is his masterpiece, IMO. Try that if you're looking for an altered state of consciousness . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Magpel Posted May 21, 2008 Author Members Share Posted May 21, 2008 "Music For 18 Musicians" is his masterpiece, IMO. Try that if you're looking for an altered state of consciousness . Yeah, that was the first hour this morning. Wonderful stuff -- but "Different Trains" is pretty awesome as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ed A. Posted May 21, 2008 Members Share Posted May 21, 2008 That was good too, with Kronos Quartet. Interesting that Pat Metheny was doing "Electric Counterpoint" on that same album. Very different from what you'd expect from him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Magpel Posted May 21, 2008 Author Members Share Posted May 21, 2008 That was good too, with Kronos Quartet. Interesting that Pat Metheny was doing "Electric Counterpoint" on that same album. Very different from what you'd expect from him. I remember Metheny working with the Reich ensemble. I think that was one of the roads I didn't travel with Pat at the time (Zero tolerance for...), but unlike, say, John Scofield ( my fav guitarist of all) Pat has always had compositional ambition. Scofield is a songwriter, imo, and a damn good one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted May 21, 2008 Moderators Share Posted May 21, 2008 I generally scoff at the the kind of new age idea that music is something you take for it's effect. It's interesting. About 15 years ago I went through a divorce. After the divorce I went through a short 6 month period of... uh... taking... uh... uh... substances. Little round ones that make you want to pet your friends face. I never like electronica before that. Then I did. I haven't indulged in this Xtraordinary substance in 15 years and I still like electronica. The good stuff. So, after having my mind bent a little I'm much more inclined to think that you can use music for its effect. I'll check out Phases. It sounds like it might be cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Magpel Posted May 21, 2008 Author Members Share Posted May 21, 2008 It's interesting. About 15 years ago I went through a divorce. After the divorce I went through a short 6 month period of... uh... taking... uh... uh... substances. Little round ones that make you want to pet your friends face. LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Magpel Posted May 21, 2008 Author Members Share Posted May 21, 2008 Still listening...Tehillim now--lovely stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted May 21, 2008 Members Share Posted May 21, 2008 Yeah, that was the first hour this morning. Wonderful stuff -- but "Different Trains" is pretty awesome as well! Those are my two favorites ("Music for 18 Musicians" and "Different Trains/Electric Counterpoint"), but the drumming one (what's the name of that?) and "Violin Phase" are also not to be missed. Steve Reich is brilliant, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted May 21, 2008 Members Share Posted May 21, 2008 I have to say that the appeal of Reich, Riley, and Glass and other repetition oriented neo-minimalists has long escaped me. It's not through lack of exposure. The old music director (he's still a weekend DJ) of my local college 'eclectic' radio station (which, before the internet, was the source of 70%-80% of my non-collection music listening for the better part of two decades) is a big, big fan of them. And so are the Kronos Quartet -- who I used to be huge fans of (saw them five times). So not only have I heard a lot of their work, I've seen a fair bit of it, both from the Kronos as well as, on a couple of occasions from my local symphony. (Last year they performed Glass's Concerto for Two Timpani -- which within the first 4 minutes I had dubbed the Mission Impossible Concerto for its insistent [i would be inclined to say pathologically compulsive] use of the rhythmic tattoo from that earlier Lalo Schiffrin work.) We're all different, of course. But I have to say that, of the many works I've heard by those composers, I've found most to be irritating at best and insufferable at worst. Just my humble etc... I say this knowing that I'm already seen with a jaundiced eye by some (or many) here for not liking the Police and the Cars and Chicago... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Magpel Posted May 21, 2008 Author Members Share Posted May 21, 2008 I knew Ken would show in this thread Those are my two favorites ("Music for 18 Musicians" and "Different Trains/Electric Counterpoint"), but the drumming one (what's the name of that?) and "Violin Phase" are also not to be missed. Steve Reich is brilliant, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Magpel Posted May 21, 2008 Author Members Share Posted May 21, 2008 I have to say that the appeal of Reich, Riley, and Glass and other repetition oriented neo-minimalists has long escaped me. Kill him... Nah, I've never been a fan of minimalists either. Glass has never done it for me. I've heard some John Adams that I liked a bit. I think Reich is a little different--a bit more colorful, expansive, witty even. BTW, The Kronos Quartet, I think they are cold. Works for some things, but I have two CDs of theirs, one an intepreation of Bill Evans, the other Astor Piazzolla. They both suck. They bleed the music of all its passion, esp. the Piazzolla disc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Magpel Posted May 21, 2008 Author Members Share Posted May 21, 2008 Eight Lines (Octet) 1979 is a wonderful percolating thing that is real maximal minimalism--very busy actually. I think Peter Gabriel must have been listening to a lot of Reich before he recorded Security. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BBTweed Posted May 21, 2008 Members Share Posted May 21, 2008 I'm really glad that Steve Reich is getting some mention on the forum. He's one of my favorite composers. I've always been a fan of minimalism. Different Trains/Electric Counterpoint and Music for 18 Musicians are also my favorites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted May 21, 2008 Members Share Posted May 21, 2008 I knew Ken would show in this thread There's no way I can stay away from any discussion of Steve Reich. Not surprisingly, Steve Reich was heavily influenced by Indonesian gamelan music. There are going to be some performances of Reich's music in Ojai, if anyone's interested. I have to find some specific information on this. I believe Reich is participating in this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted May 21, 2008 Members Share Posted May 21, 2008 Ojai Music Festival information: http://www.ojaifestival.org/festival/program.htm Thursday, June 58:00 pmLibbey Bowl SIGNAL, contemporary ensembleBRAD LUBMAN, conductor Steve Reich: Eight Lines Reich: Nagoya Marimba Reich: Four Organs Reich: Daniel Variations Sunday the 8th also has some Reich pieces, and Reich himself is playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted May 21, 2008 Members Share Posted May 21, 2008 Kill him... Nah, I've never been a fan of minimalists either. Glass has never done it for me. I've heard some John Adams that I liked a bit. I think Reich is a little different--a bit more colorful, expansive, witty even. BTW, The Kronos Quartet, I think they are cold. Works for some things, but I have two CDs of theirs, one an intepreation of Bill Evans, the other Astor Piazzolla. They both suck. They bleed the music of all its passion, esp. the Piazzolla disc. If they didn't kill me for dissing the Police and the Cars (and I didn't like Kiss, either, kiddies) they probably won't for not digging the minnies. I liked the Kronos (and still do but the bloom is off the rose... I no longer rush out to buy each latest CD) for their adventurous spirit. I don't think the Kronos are cold or dispassionate -- but, having seen them in concert alongside and playing with the Modern Jazz Quartet -- as well as with bassist Ray Brown when they were working the Monk album -- I have to say that the only one in the Kronos who can really swing is lead fiddler Harrington. The others always feel stiff to me when they try to play jazz/swing syncopation... like they're freakin' counting... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Philter Posted May 21, 2008 Members Share Posted May 21, 2008 Still listening...Tehillim now--lovely stuff. Yeah Tehillim is my favorite Reich, I was going to recommend it before I saw this post. Don't give up on Glass that easily: listen to the CD that has a selection of songs from his opera cycle. It's absolutely gorgeous and definitely not the Glass most people think of, especially the second two operas. http://www.amazon.com/Songs-Trilogy-Robert-McFarland/dp/B0000026Y7 I used to like Glass like I like beet greens... I listened to it because I thought it was good for me. Then I heard this CD and found that he can really write beautiful music. Glass's early stuff that most people hear (including Glassworks) is pedantic, but that's because he was laying out his technique as bare as possible. Later on he figured out how to apply it to make something worth listening to. I saw him perform with his ensemble at a retrospective at the Lincoln Center a few years back. It was an awesome live performance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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