The Desert Music

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DescriptionExcerpt

Reich’s 1985 Nonesuch debut, incorporating poem fragments from William Carlos Williams, was also his first work for large orchestra and chorus; Michael Tilson Thomas conducts. The New York Times praised its “ingenious craft, transfixing rhythmic energy, and gorgeous sound.”

Description

Reich’s 1985 Nonesuch debut, incorporating poem fragments from William Carlos Williams, was also his first work for large orchestra and chorus; Michael Tilson Thomas conducts. The New York Times praised its “ingenious craft, transfixing rhythmic energy, and gorgeous sound.”

ProductionCredits

PRODUCTION CREDITS
Produced by Rudolph Werner and Steve Reich
Recording Engineer: Paul Goodman
Editing and Mixing: Karl-August Naegler, Wolf-Dieter Karwatki, Rudolph Werner, John Newton, and Steve Reich
Recorded October 29 and 30, 1984, at RCA Studio A, New York City
Mastering: Robert C. Ludwig

Music by Steve Reich
Text by William Carlos Williams

Art direction and design: Carin Goldberg
Cover photo: Benno Friedman

Executive Producer: Robert Hurwitz

Nonesuch Selection Number

79101

Number of Discs in Set
1disc
ns_album_artistid
92
ns_album_id
272
ns_album_releasedate
ns_genre_1
0
ns_genre_2
0
Album Status
Artist Name
Steve Reich
MusicianDetails

MUSICIANS
Steve Reich and Musicians
with
Members of the Brooklyn Philharmonic
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Russell Hartenberger, Robert Becker, Glen Velez, Garry Kvistad, principal percussion
Julie Rosenfeld, concertmistress
Deborah Redding, principal second violin
Francesca Martin, principal viola
Sharon Palmer, principal cello
Donald Palma, principal bass
Cheryl Bensman, choral contractor, soprano

Cover Art
UPC/Price
Label
CD+MP3
UPC
075597910124BUN
Label
MP3
Price
9.00
UPC
603497091867
Slug
the-desert-music-digital-mp3-album
  • 79101

News & Reviews

  • An album comprising the first recordings of Steve Reich’s two latest works—Jacob’s Ladder (2023) and Traveler’s Prayer (2020)—is out now on Nonesuch. Jacob's Ladder, performed by the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Jaap van Zweden, and Synergy Vocals, was made during its October 2023 world premiere at Lincoln Center's David Geffen Hall. “Lovely and refreshing," says the New York Classical Review. "Superb." Traveler's Prayer, performed by Colin Currie Group and Synergy Vocals, was made at Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall in 2023. "The tone of its score, from first note to last, is sustained sublimity," says the Los Angeles Times. The two pieces were first released earlier this year digitally and as part of the 27-disc box set Steve Reich Collected Works.

  • "Composer Steve Reich is one of the most influential musicians of modern times," BBC Radio 4's This Cultural Life host John Wilson says of his guest. "In the 1960s he helped rewrite the rules of composition, using analogue tape machines to experiment with rhythm, repetition and syncopation. As the godfather of musical minimalism, his influence on Philip Glass, David Bowie, Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, and many other composers, has been enormous." You can hear their conversation about Reich's life, work, and the influence of Stravinsky, Bach, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Pérotin, and more here.

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  • About This Album

    Reich’s 1985 Nonesuch debut, incorporating poem fragments from William Carlos Williams, was also his first work for large orchestra and chorus; Michael Tilson Thomas conducts. The New York Times praised its “ingenious craft, transfixing rhythmic energy, and gorgeous sound.”

    Credits

    MUSICIANS
    Steve Reich and Musicians
    with
    Members of the Brooklyn Philharmonic
    Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
    Russell Hartenberger, Robert Becker, Glen Velez, Garry Kvistad, principal percussion
    Julie Rosenfeld, concertmistress
    Deborah Redding, principal second violin
    Francesca Martin, principal viola
    Sharon Palmer, principal cello
    Donald Palma, principal bass
    Cheryl Bensman, choral contractor, soprano

    PRODUCTION CREDITS
    Produced by Rudolph Werner and Steve Reich
    Recording Engineer: Paul Goodman
    Editing and Mixing: Karl-August Naegler, Wolf-Dieter Karwatki, Rudolph Werner, John Newton, and Steve Reich
    Recorded October 29 and 30, 1984, at RCA Studio A, New York City
    Mastering: Robert C. Ludwig

    Music by Steve Reich
    Text by William Carlos Williams

    Art direction and design: Carin Goldberg
    Cover photo: Benno Friedman

    Executive Producer: Robert Hurwitz

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