Early Works

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Release Date
DescriptionExcerpt

These groundbreaking pieces from the mid-‘60s / early ‘70s, which utilize tape loops and Reich’s pioneering “phasing” technique, not only inspired the minimalist movement but also influenced generations of sound-sampling pop and electronic artists. The Washington Post calls them “absolutely spellbinding.”

Description

These groundbreaking pieces from the mid-‘60s / early ‘70s, which utilize tape loops and Reich’s pioneering “phasing” technique, not only inspired the minimalist movement but also influenced generations of sound-sampling pop and electronic artists. The Washington Post calls them “absolutely spellbinding.”

ProductionCredits

PRODUCTION CREDITS
Produced by Judith Sherman and Steve Reich
Recorded May 1986 (2) and May 1987 (3) at RCA Studio A, New York City
Tracks 2, 3 mixed and edited by Steve Reich and Judith Sherman; engineered by Paul Goodman
Mastering: Robert C. Ludwig

Art direction and design: Carin Goldberg
Cover photograph by Landry/Girouard

Executive Producer: Robert Hurwitz

Nonesuch Selection Number

79169

Number of Discs in Set
1disc
ns_album_artistid
92
ns_album_id
270
ns_album_releasedate
ns_genre_1
0
ns_genre_2
0
Album Status
Artist Name
Steve Reich
MusicianDetails

MUSICIANS
Nurit Tilles, Edmund Niemann, pianos (2)
Russ Hartenberger, Steve Reich, hand claps (3)

Cover Art
UPC/Price
Label
CD+MP3
Price
0.00
UPC
075597916928BUN
Label
MP3
Price
9.00
UPC
603497092062
Slug
early-works-digital-mp3-album
  • 79169

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

    These groundbreaking pieces from the mid-‘60s / early ‘70s, which utilize tape loops and Reich’s pioneering “phasing” technique, not only inspired the minimalist movement but also influenced generations of sound-sampling pop and electronic artists. The Washington Post calls them “absolutely spellbinding.”

    Credits

    MUSICIANS
    Nurit Tilles, Edmund Niemann, pianos (2)
    Russ Hartenberger, Steve Reich, hand claps (3)

    PRODUCTION CREDITS
    Produced by Judith Sherman and Steve Reich
    Recorded May 1986 (2) and May 1987 (3) at RCA Studio A, New York City
    Tracks 2, 3 mixed and edited by Steve Reich and Judith Sherman; engineered by Paul Goodman
    Mastering: Robert C. Ludwig

    Art direction and design: Carin Goldberg
    Cover photograph by Landry/Girouard

    Executive Producer: Robert Hurwitz

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