| Steve
Reich: "Though I may have the pleasure of discovering musical processes
and composing the material to run through them, once the process is set up
an loaded it runs by itself."
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The sold-out
Archa-Theater experienced a musical premiere Saturday: the central item of
the evening: the first performance of Steve Reich’s work: "Tehilim"
(Psalms)
The name Steve Reich is
synonymous with American minimal music. The style was developed in the
1960’s and for this time and place typical of its creation. He works
with simple, almost banal harmonies and melodies and concentrates on the
time in the music. With the magic of the time he gives the listener a
completely new musical experience.
The first piece of the
performance comprises of four independent compositions of Steve Reich,
which all belong in the creation period, which Reich calls "phasing".
From a cassette recorder a piece is played, staggered three times in the
twelfth act, and the fourth phase is played live by a musician.
The "Tehilim" (Psalms) for voice
and instrumental music take an exceptional position in Reich’s work in
1981. Four female singers mold a very complicated, melodious structure
with their voices. All four voices sing the same melody in staggered
fashion, originating in a strong canon chant, accompanied by percussion
instruments, all of which in fact are mentioned in the Torah. These
instruments give the composition not only the strong impulse, but also
impart an idea of the old-fashionedness of the text.
[German]
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