Steve Reich: Double Sextet, 2x5
Eighth Blackbird & Bang On a Can
Open iTunes to preview, buy, and download music.
| Name | Artist | Time | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Double Sextet: I. Fast | Eighth Blackbird | 8:39 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
|
2 |
Double Sextet: II. Slow | Eighth Blackbird | 6:43 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
|
3 |
Double Sextet: III. Fast | Eighth Blackbird | 6:52 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
|
4 |
2x5: I. Fast | Bang On a Can | 10:12 | Work Only | View In iTunes |
|
5 |
2x5: II. Slow | Bang On a Can | 3:12 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
|
6 |
2x5: III. Fast | Bang On a Can | 7:07 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
| BookletDigital Booklet - Double Sextet/2x5 | Eighth Blackbird & Bang On a Can | -- | Work Only | View In iTunes |
| Total: 7 Items |
iTunes Review
Steve Reich’s Minimalist patterns hold great appeal for a lot of rock fans, and his oeuvre has influenced a slew of rock musicians. The venerable composer might be returning the favor with “2x5,” a composition that sounds like Reich filtered through rock bands influenced by Reich. The piece is written for a classic-rock lineup: two electric guitars, piano, electric bass, and drums, but that grouping is doubled. (Here, five members of New York’s Bang On a Can play live against a recording of themselves.) Reich frequently writes for percussion but his use of trap kit is rare, and the backbeat lends an exciting element to the music. The Chicago-based chamber group Eighth Blackbird impress with their performance of the album’s other composition, “Double Sextet.” Eighth Blackbird’s lineup includes flute, clarinet, violin, cello, vibraphone, and piano, which, as with “2x5,” is doubled since the ensemble plays against a track that they previously recorded. At times, the piece has a light quality that subtly distinguishes it from the composer’s other work, but it’s still pure Reich.
Customer Reviews
You've Heard This Before
There's nothing new here. Reich's been writing this for decades, and they seem finally to have tossed him a Pulitzer for it. For his best work, which is indeed decades behind him, seek out The Desert Music or Music for Eighteen Musicians. These two lightweight pieces are soulless, energy-free, and of no interest whatsoever. A real shame. Double Sextet is terribly familiar, and 2x5 sounds like the soundtrack to an early 80s Michael Crichton techno-thriller.
Reich's new voice
Steve Reich no longer calls himself a minimalist; he claims to have left that style several years ago. This new release attests to that stylistic shift; Reich carries over nearly all of the now-familiar characteristics of his early style, leaving behind some of the unending harmonic stasis we associate with early minimalism. This, then, is music informed by today's music. Reich is unlike other composers of his generation who found their niche and stick with it, for better or for worse (think Crumb and Glass, to name two). This music shows that he's maintained a sort of curiosity, and it's a trait which allows this music to breathe, to dance, and yet to still maintain that simple mathematical elegance we've come to love in his work. Recommended.
Excellent
Double Sextet is exciting and fast paced; it is highly rhythmic, but suprisingly lyrical. Eighth Blackbird preforms this piece with both precision and artistry. The recorded second part interlocks with the first to create new rhythms, harmonies and timbres. Definitely one of Reich's best works and well worth the Pulitzer prize.
2x5 puts an interesting twist on the standard rock band instrumentation. It to is quite rhythmical.
Biography
Formed: 1987 in New York, NY
Genre: Classical
Years Active: '80s, '90s, '00s, '10s
Top Albums and Songs By Bang On a Can
Listeners Also Bought
- $9.99
- Genres: Classical, Music, Easy Listening
- Released: Sep 10, 2010
- ℗ 2010 Nonesuch Records, Inc.
