Steve Reich - Music for 18 Musicians (2007) [Hi-Res+SACD]

Although "Music for 18 musicians" features repetitive patterns, constant tempo, and other similar means that characterize Reich's innovative work of the late 1960s and early 1970s, it is distinguished by an unprecedented harmonic variety and richness of sound. In such epochal works as "Piano Phase" (1967) and "Drumming" (1971), Reich demonstrates a penchant for creating easily perceived musical processes. In" Music for 18 musicians, " organizational purity gives way to a more intuitive approach that focuses on the appeal of music to the listener. This change in aesthetics marks a new phase in Reich's work and perhaps marks the end of his simplified, minimalist period.
The harmonic structure of the entire work is already evident at the beginning: 11 juicy wavelike harmonies gradually increase and subside, probably imitating sounds created in an electronic Studio. These eleven harmonies define the overall format of the entire composition: each of the following eleven movements is associated with a specific harmony. Although Reich reminds himself of the early period when he was limited to one harmony in one movement, the development of musical material in "Music for 18 musicians" does not adhere to strict limits; Reich leans towards a free composition, allowing himself to deviate from the canons when changing phases.
Although Reich's earlier works, such as "Six Pianos" (1973), "Music for Mallet Instruments", "Voices" and "Organ" (1973) also deviate somewhat from the rules, none of them have the same harmonic diversity as in "Music for 18 musicians". In addition, in" music for 18 musicians", Reich's skill and ingenuity as an Orchestrator are shown for the first time. In all parts, the composer explores incredible sound combinations-from the high Intrusive passages of the violin, piano, and xylophone to the dark low resonances of the clarinet, cello, and marimba, and the indistinct presence of voices. These colors and textures overlap, creating sometimes almost transparent fragments, then lush grandeur; they foreshadow the larger and later orchestrations of "Music for a Large Ensemble" (1978), "the Desert Music" (1984), "the Four Sections" (1987) and "Three Movements" (1986). In these works, Reich adheres to more traditional, conservative methods, but "Music for 18 musicians" is on the border between experimentalism and Orthodoxy. Thus, it is not only one of Reich's most important works, but also a cornerstone in the music of the late twentieth century.
Steve Reich is considered one of the founders of minimalism and the inventor of the phasing technique (overlapping two audio fragments with a smooth phase shift relative to each other and returning back). In the presented work (1976), the composer applied a new technique: pulsation. Each musician plays a single note, or a short phrase, gradually changing the volume. A fascinating, undulating melody is formed by the interaction of performers and the imposition of various sounds. All this is based on a monotonous rhythm and repetitions and requires a complete and attentive listening: two separately torn fragments just seem the same.