New York Counterpoint / Eight Lines / Four Organs
Steve Reich's take on what's popularly been called minimalism has been to illuminate the nature of musical phrases played in staccato fashion on various instruments and then variously "phase shift" their lines into new, contrapuntal relationships. This music can either delight or annoy, and Reich has done both in his time. Fortunately, on this disc the music itself is neither too complex to play nor too difficult to follow, and it could stand as an excellent primer for Reich's early minimalism. What genuinely triumphs on this disc isOctet(of 1979/80). It's an athletic work that brings various instruments into and out of play in carefully cadenced rhythmic patterns that are typical of Reich's very best writing. For Reich fans, though, there might not be anything new here; newbies, however, should be quite taken.--Paul Cook