In the 1960s Steve Reich emerged as a central figure in composition, leading the movement that has been called minimalism. His music has become a fixture of the international musical scene and an influence on generations of composers even as Reich's own techniques have continued to evolve. His instantly recognizable musical language combines rigorous structures with propulsive rhythms and seductive instrumental colour, the construction of complex sounds out of simple materials. This Steve Reich Symposium offers a chance to enhance our understanding of these compositional directions as well as the listening process, and to appreciate his wide-reaching impact.
11am - 12 noon: Young Composers' Concert presented by Psappha
Including exciting works with tape by Ed Bennett, Dai Fujikura, Larry Goves, Anna Meredith and Ailís Ní Ríain, some of today's leading young composers.
12.15pm -1.00pm: Keynote address: Paul Griffiths
A look at the influences on Reich's music – from medieval music to African and Balinese musical traditions – and the role of technology in the composer's output, and the intersections of specific Reich works with cultural and political issues.
Among the many publications featuring the work of the writer Paul Griffiths is a selection of his criticism, including reviews of the music of Steve Reich over a period of 30 years, The Substance of Things Heard.
1.15pm: Lunch
(included with day pass ticket)
3.00pm – 4.00pm: Round table discussion
A panel of varied and distinguished practitioners discuss Reich's highly distinctive musical processes and structures, and their use in, and effect on, other artforms including the dance world's support for, and fascination with, his music. They also consider the development of tape pieces on a new generation of composers.
4.00pm: Tea
5.00pm: Screening
7.00pm: Psappha presents Reich in performance
Clapping Music (1972)
Piano Phase (1967)
Vermont Counterpoint (1982)
Nagoya Marimbas (1994)
Violin Phase (1967)
New York Counterpoint (1985)
Cello Counterpoint (2003)
Music for Pieces of Wood (1973)
The leading contemporary music ensemble Psappha pays tribute to Steve Reich with a range of his pieces including those in which Reich first experimented with 'phasing' and others in which his reinvention of the meaning of colour and rhythm added new elements to his fast-developing musical language. An exploration of his multi-tracking and sampled music takes in some of his series of mirror dances, Counterpoint. The concert opens with the piece in which Reich wanted to 'create a piece of music that needed no instruments beyond the human body' and ends with Music for Pieces of Wood memorably likened to 'watching whirling dervishes enter an intensely focused, disciplined trance'.
9.15pm: Post-concert discussion
A closing session including performers and participants in the Symposium and concerts.
For full details on the Steve Reich Symposium, ring the box office on 01524 594151 for a leaflet.
Seating is unreserved for both concerts which take place in the Nuffield Theatre.
TICKETS: £35 day pass / £8 morning concert only
£15 evening concert only
This event is not part of the subscription package.
