Steve Reich's Daniel Variations was the featured album on last night's episode of WNYC's New Sounds. The title piece "justifiably has drawn a fair amount of attention and acclaim," says the show's host, John Schaefer. Daniel Variations, which the Sydney Morning Herald calls "a powerful composition," will receive its Australian premiere this Friday at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
Steve Reich's Daniel Variations was the featured album on last night's episode of New Sounds on WNYC, 93.9 FM.
The album's title piece, written in memory of slain journalist Daniel Pearl, "justifiably has drawn a fair amount of attention and acclaim," says the show's host, John Schaefer. Yet also on the disc is "a piece that's too good to overlook," declares Schaefer: Variations for Vibes, Pianos, and Strings. Schaefer plays that piece in its entirety, closing the show with an excerpt from Daniel Variations.
Between the two new Reich recordings, New Sounds features a seminal early work by John Adams: Shaker Loops, "the work that really announced his presence on the new music scene," in Schaefer's words. The piece, first written in 1978 and revised for string orchestra in 1983, is performed on this recording, from 1996, by the Orchestra of St. Luke's, conducted by the composer.
You can listen to the entire program on wnyc.org.
Daniel Variations, which the Sydney Morning Herald calls "a powerful composition," will receive its Australian premiere this Friday at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
