From: pugh@pico.math.ucla.edu (David Pugh)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical
Subject: Steve Reich's "Different Trains"
Date: 22 Nov 92 01:17:43 GMT
Organization: UCLA Mathematics Department

In article <1992Nov18.174035.15561@math.ucla.edu> pugh@pico.math.ucla.edu (David Pugh) writes:
>>Another Reich piece which I think listeners should look out for is
>>called 'Different Trains'. To me this is the most moving piece I have
>>heard in the last 10-15 years. Anyone else heard this piece?

>I sincerely intend no offense or disrespect to anyone with this response.
>I do understand the seriousness of the subject matter of the music.  But I
>must say that I found this piece perhaps the most insultingly self-serving
>pieces of indulgence that has ever been at all accepted as "classical" or
>"serious" music.  There is a lot of "classical" music that I don't like,
>but don't feel I understand enough to pass any kind of judgement.  But this
>is one of the very rare pieces that I don't like and *do* feel I understand
>enough to pass judgement: crap.
>
>-chris

First of all, you are of course entitled to think what you like. If you
don't like this piece, it is your loss, not mine, just as me not caring
much for Haydn or early Mozart is my loss, not someone elses.

The fact remains that whenever I listen to this piece I am always very
moved by it. I have listened to a huge amount of music in just about every
style imaginable. 'Different trains' is one of about 10 pieces that has
left me transfixed at the end. It isn't something easily described in
words but I know that 'crap' is not capable of doing this.

Whether the piece is classical or not is really irrelevant. Classical,
pop, jazz, acid, house,.. these are just names, pigeonholes. This piece
is MUSIC tho' and quite rightly considered a serious piece. I think it is
probably Steve Reich's most personal and serious piece yet (the Desert
Music coming a close second).

Musically I find the piece very interesting. The melodies and rhythm come
directly from the spoken fragments of text in the piece. In other words
the text generates all/most of the music. The piece is about two parallel
situations. The first is Reich shuttling back and forth between LA and
New York during the war by train; the second is the Jews led to their
deaths on different trains (hence the title of the piece). Reich noted that
had he been in Europe at the time, being Jewish, he may very have been on
one of those different trains. I saw Reich talking about this piece and
never doubted his sincerity. Furthermore, I see nothing insulting about
this piece nor anyone it could insult.

This piece is recorded by the Kronos quartet and on the other side is
a piece called Electric Counterpoint which is for guitar and tape. The
guitarist prerecords up to 11 strands of music and then plays the final
strand live with the tape playback. It is full of Reich's usual rhythmic
devices (3/2 vs 12/8 time signatures). The opening of the piece is
somewhat reminiscent of the opening of Desert music. Electric Counterpoint
was written in 1987, Different Trains in 1988. As far as I am concerned,
Different Trains is a modern day masterpiece and I will happily defend this
opinion.

David
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   David Pugh,  UCLA,  CA         |     Hot Dog, Jumping Frog
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Newsgroups: rec.music.classical