Steve Reich - Music for 18 Musicians (2 LP)
- LP
- 2 piece(s)
- 1998
- 14 tracks
- 1 uur, 7 min
- minimalism
Music for 18 Musicians
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4.3
Average of 4 reviews
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This is an incredibly faithful rendition of a true masterpiece. Any issues with pops are likely due to the environment it's played in, and can be easily mitigated with anti-static sleeves and a micro-fibre cloth. The only drawback is the choice of double LP format for this continuous musical work, which causes 3 interruptions instead of just 1, as would be the case with a single LP release (which, by the way, also exists: https://www.discogs.com/release/7002733-Steve-Reich-Music-For-18-Musicians).
From my perspective, which shouldn't be considered the final word since I'm neither a historian nor a Reich expert, this is his magnum opus. It's where the creation of musical art through chance, the use of randomness, compositional unpredictability, and gradual phase shifts blend seamlessly with intricate arrangement, mature authorship, rich harmonies, and exceptional augmentation, all coming together in a way that's rarely been matched since. The gradual introduction of various musicians and their respective instruments is truly extraordinary. It's like a classical take on a techno DJ set, if that makes any sense at all. The composition sounds like a collage of perfectly measured segments stitched together into a single piece, except these aren't loops, but musical passages played by a smaller orchestra. The only thing that surpasses the brilliant concept is the execution, the final result. "Music for 18 musicians" is like the peak of his previous work, amplified in every direction you can imagine. I can't exactly point to any standout part; this needs to be experienced in one go, without interruptions. I have to agree with a previous reviewer that the impact is greater when listened to on CD. Vinyl is my preferred format, but once this really gets going, and you start feeling like you're losing touch with reality, flipping the record can indeed disrupt the unparalleled experience. However, where vinyl scores points is in allowing you to experiment with the 'needle drop' technique, fully grasping just how progressive and transformative the composition is, even if at first you might not think so. Let the needle drop every few grooves, and witness the music take unexpected turns with the entrance of every new instrument. You can even do this with the CD: just put it in your CD-Rom, and play the disc in any software you usually use, and move the cursor forward every once in a while… Amazing! In short, this is fantastic. As a passionate techno music fan, I find this piece not only a vital piece of history, but perhaps an indirect precursor to the music I cherish today. It employs and excels in so many techniques that techno artists are still eager to use today, but through this piece, Steve Reich actually did it better than many can even hope to achieve today, over thirty years later. The melody, the harmony, the skillful arrangement, and perfect timing, plus much more, all contribute to making "Music for 18 musicians" as popular and justifiably revered as it is today. On a personal note, I would highly recommend it to any serious fan of electronic music to broaden their horizons and get a history lesson. On a little side note, I bought this particular version because it was said to be approximately twelve minutes longer than the original. My verdict? If you liked the fifty-seven minute edition, then you need this one as well. Any expansion and elongation of an aural experience as gorgeous as this one is more than welcome. It doesn’t damage or tarnish the original; in fact, it successfully lengthens it, providing additional quality listening time. So, I really like it, and can do little more but highly recommend it. Just get it, regardless of the edition - both are tremendous! Along with Six Pianos (my #1 piece of his), Drumming, and Music for mallet instruments, voices and organ, this goes in my all-time Steve Reich favorite list. A milestone of contemporary minimal classical music.
This is hands-down my all-time favorite track. I've played it so many times, I even gave it a shoutout in my thesis. But I gotta say, I'm puzzled why they pressed it onto a 4-sided record. No matter how weird you imagine the listening experience might be with a continuous piece of music having 3 breaks, it's actually much worse. They fade the music out and in during side changes. It's absolutely bonkers.
does anyone have info on the total production number?
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