Composer Steve Reich Performer Steve Reich Ensemble - Steve Reich Music for 18 Musicians (1 tracks) +Album Reviews

Amazing breakthrough cornerstone piece, excellent recording

I X Key | tomorrow | 03/12/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This recording of Reich's most canonical piece is perfect. & the music is absolutely brilliant. It has everything Reich did with compositional structure to that point; rests are gradually replaced with notes over a thick, juicy fabric of repetition. The musicians phase. There's also a new idea for him in this piece: music determined by the length of human breath, as the woodwinds periodically pulse a note, & each player pulses it just until s/he runs out of breathn. The music also is incredibly beautiful, in a way exceptionally modern & also eternally emotional. Get this cd. It's an absolute must for any Reich or minimalist collection."

A Minimalist Milestone

Christopher Forbes | Brooklyn,, NY | 06/13/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD can either send you into a deep trance or a screaming fit, depending on your tolerance for repetative minimalist music. Music for 18 Musicians is Reich's great transition work from the small ensemble pieces of the 70's to his large scale work of the 80's and 90's. It's densely layered repeating patterns gradually shift in and out of phase with each other, creating a kalideoscope of timbres, and endlessly varied crossrhythms. To listen to this piece with an open mind is to enter an entrancing world of color light and imagination. Reich proves why he is the most imitated and inimitable of all of the minimalists. The performance is definitive. These musicians were all members of Reich's performing groups of the 70's. And ECM engineers have a genius for atmospheric sound that is perfect for this music. This is a delightful CD."

Mesmerizing!

C. Broom | 04/30/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"That sure is one mesmerizing hour-long work. I remembered first hearing parts of the work on the PBS Series "Cosmos" (particulaly, "Pulses", Sections I and IIIb). It wouldn't be until recently (about 2002) that I find out that it was "Music for 18 Musicians" by Steve Reich. The ECM recording contains 1 track. I have the Nonesuch CD (which I like as much) which separates the sections into tracks - which I think it could've (or should've) been done on the ECM CD as well. I managed to figure out when a section begins by carefully comparing both CDs. I notice that the ECM mentioned 10 sections (possibly a missprint) while the Nonesuch mentioned 11. Here's listing which I think would be helpful to those who listen to the ECM CD:Pulses 0:00
I 3:46
II 8:03
IIIA 12:04
IIIB 16:02
IV 20:05
V 25:53
VI 31:24
VII 35:53
VIII 39:29
IX 42:47
X 47:01
XI 48:34
Pulses 52:50"

Truly an Experience. Still the best recording by far.

C. Broom | Glasgow | 08/29/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are few pieces in my opinion that one can continually return to and still be as moved as when they heard it for the first time, never tiring of hearing the same music; but for me, this was one such piece. Seven years after originally buying it, 'Music for 18 Musicians' still sounds as fresh as on that first day.Along with Miles Davis' 'Kind of Blue', 'St. Matthew Passion', and Nancarrow's 'Studies', Music for 18 Musicians was for me one of those rare landmark musical events that dramatically changed the whole way I thought about music.18 Musicians suits the characteristic sound of the ECM label perfectly. Of the three recordings now readily available (the other two being the Nonesuch and the RCA Victor) this is by far the best and most balanced. ECM also resisted the temptation to split the piece into separate tracks, resulting in a CD with one single track on it - which is how this piece should be heard. The cover art (which, incidentally is by Reich's wife, the artist Beryl Korot) is ideally suited to the wonderful, shimmering sonic experience that is 18 Musicians. Indeed, everything about this release is just right. If you buy only one Minimalist CD in your life, then buy Music for 18 Musicians, and if you decide to buy it, make sure it's this recording!"

A Recording, Not A Live Performance

enolcmelca | 12/12/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I own all three recordings of Music For 18 Musicians; I suggest that for anyone who is truly interested in the work, owning all three is a must. In order of preference for me, the recordings go ECM, RCA, and Nonesuch.No recording of 18 quite captures the piece as it sounds live. (I've had the luck to see it twice with Steve Reich & Musicians at the San Francisco Symphony.) However, the ECM version comes close to duplicating the timbre of the real thing. To my ears, it sounds the most "live".The RCA/Ensemble Modern recording is perhaps the best performed. Ensemble Modern emphasizes Reich's earlier philosophies about music as a process; they clearly delineate the various instruments and lines in the recording, and they properly accentuate the lead mallet lines. (I say "proper" because that's what it sounded like when I saw 18 performed live.) What this recording lacks in lush beauty, it gains in near-academic perfection.The new Nonesuch recording was designed from the ground up to be a recording, not a live performance. Most instruments are close-mic'd, which gives the odd feeling of standing next to all of the instruments at the same time. I love it for its open spaces, surprising tempo, and stunning imaging of the mallet instruments. It is as lush and beautiful as the ECM recording, but I prefer the subtleties and pacing of the ECM more."

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	Composer: Steve Reich, Performer: Steve Reich Ensemble Steve Reich: Music for 18 Musicians Genres: Pop, Classical Track Listings (1) - Disc #1 Music for 18 Musicians, for 4 female voices & 16 instruments No Description Available. Genre: Classical Music Media Format: Compact Disk Rating: Release Date: 18-APR-2000
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