Talk:Steve Reich

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article must adhere to the policy on biographies of living persons. Controversial material of any kind that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous. If such material is repeatedly inserted or there are other concerns relative to this policy, report it on the living persons biographies noticeboard.

	This article is within the scope of WikiProject Biography. For more information, visit the project page.	Biography Portal
B	This article has been rated as B-Class on the Project's quality scale. [FAQ] (If you rated the article, please give a short summary at comments to explain the ratings and/or to identify the strengths and weaknesses.)
	This article is supported by WikiProject Musicians, an attempt to build a comprehensive and detailed biographical guide to musicians and musical groups on Wikipedia.

Steve Reich is related to WikiProject Composers which has been provided as a place for editors of biographical articles of Music Composers and Songwriters to discuss common issues, discover neglected composer articles and exchange ideas. All who are interested are invited to comment and contribute.

This article was externally reviewed on October 24, 2005 by The Guardian. It was rated 7/10.

Contents 1 Oh Dem Watermelons 2 Pronunciation 3 Influence 4 The Guardian 5 To do 6 Critical review in the Guardian 7 Sparks 8 Visit to Ghana 9 Impact of Stravinsky 10 Clarification?

[edit] Oh Dem Watermelons

Is the music from Oh Dem Watermelons definitely phasing? I've never heard it, but I was under the impression that it wasn't. As far as I can make out, it's a close vocal canon which has many of the same effects as the phasing tape pieces (recognisable words being reduced to a series of abstract sounds), but it doesn't actually phase. Though I could be wrong. --Camembert

No, it isn't a phase work. I don't know about its production, but it sounds strongly like it still is a tape-cut-and-splice style work, though. You are quite right though with its canonic nature, however. Dysprosia 12:37, 13 Sep 2003 (UTC)

Thanks - I guess the article needs a little fiddling with. Has a recording of it been released, by the way? I need to track it down if so... --Camembert

I don't know. I can't remember where I heard it, it was a while ago... Sorry :/ Dysprosia 12:57, 13 Sep 2003 (UTC)

Ah well - thanks anyway. --Camembert

Glad to be of some help, at least :) Dysprosia 13:03, 13 Sep 2003 (UTC)

[edit] Pronunciation

How do you pronounce "Reich" -- is it (1) [raItS], (2) [reIk] or (3) something else?
valter 07:36, 27 Sep 2004 (UTC)

I've heard both reissh and reikh (as in loch). I think the latter is more correct. Dysprosia 08:33, 27 Sep 2004 (UTC)

He pronounces it: reissh. Jimaltieri 07:19, 28 Sep 2004 (UTC)

I've pronounced it Rike for decades and just recently heard an NPR person pronounce it Rishe (the e is to make the i long). It looks like a German name to me. The English language has no sound equivalent to the German "ch".TheScotch 08:12, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Influence

I think the statement that Reich influenced King Crimson is a subjective statement. I've read where Robert Fripp claims that he had never even heard any of Reich's music prior to KC's eighties trilogy. He goes on to say that both Crimson's music and Reich's were influenced by the Javanese Gamelians(I know that's spelled wrong)207.157.121.50 22:17, 15 October 2005 (UTC)mightyafrowhitey

[edit] The Guardian

An article in today's Guardian (http://technology.guardian.co.uk/opinion/story/0,16541,1599325,00.html) has a comment on this entry from Mike Barne of serious new-music magazine The Wire (http://www.thewire.co.uk/about/about.php). Anyone willing to contact him to have him help out? I'm new to all this, and hardly qualified -- don't know how to edit very well myself! 70.80.27.104 01:37, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

We may formulate a response, please see: Wikipedia:Village_pump_(news)#Guardian_article. --bodnotbod 22:24, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

[edit] To do

1. Not yet mentioned: Sextet, Octet, Music for a Large Ensemble, probably others.
2. The various "counterpoint" pieces - I finally found a recording of Vermont Counterpoint for flute recently (it has also been set for marimba, as Tokyo/Vermont Counterpoint). I know there's also New York Counterpoint, for clarinet.
3. Some mention of the fact that Reich's work is now entering the repertoire - it's not just Reich who is recording his own works these days.

I saw Reich in concert about twenty years ago, and he gave a talk beforehand. He was enthusiastic about Junior Walker's Shotgun as an early influence - I think because it had a simple bassline which repeated without variation throughout the whole song. He was very dismissive of his work being described as "minimalism", saying there was a trend to name musical developments after contemporary schools of painting and he didn't think the word applied to his music. I've got the programme somewhere, I'll try to find it.

[edit] Critical review in the Guardian

A critical review of this article was published in The Guardian (see this external link Can you trust Wikipedia Monday October 24, 2005). The comments can be use as feedback to help to improve the article.

Overall mark: 7/10 by Mike Barnes (interviews Steve Reich in the current edition of Wire.)

--Philip Baird Shearer 09:57, 22 November 2005 (UTC)

Here's a start on the points mentioned. Hyacinth 09:17, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

• Was Steve Reich friends with Sol Lewitt and Richard Serra? Do their articles reference him back?
• Discussion of major compositions beside Four Organs.

I attended a recent interview with Reich, in which he mentioned his early art friends & associates with Richard Serra being amoungst them. - John

[edit] Sparks

Hi all. I'm doing some work on the Sparks article and while coming up with something on their lyrical style, which on recent albums, Lil Beethoven and Hello Young Lovers, uses repeating lyrical motifs which struck me as being, more than likely, influenced by Reich but I haven't come across any references to this in my research. If anybody has anything on this possible link it would be a great help if you could drop a line on the talk page. Regards KaptKos 09:49, 26 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Visit to Ghana

I seem to recall reading somewhere that he planned to spend a year in Ghana (having won a Fulbright to do so) but had to return after a few weeks because of contracting malaria. Any confirmation anywhere? Wspencer11 13:28, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Impact of Stravinsky

Shouldn't there be a note somewhere about how he reacted when he first heard Stravinsky's Rite of Spring? I know I read somewhere that he has said it was crucial to his development as a musician. Wspencer11 13:38, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Clarification?

This sentence in the article needs clarification: "Human voices are part of the musical pallette in Music for a Large Ensemble but the voices carry no meaning." Does this mean the voices sing using abstract vowel sounds or something like that? Or that they use nonsense words? Or that there are real words but they are used in an abstract way? --Wspencer11 (talk to me...) 13:33, 1 September 2006 (UTC)

They go "...boobooboo..." and "...weeweewee..." and sounds like that. Maybe a short audio clip is in order? —Keenan Pepper 16:13, 1 September 2006 (UTC)