released February 2, 2018 (Nonesuch Records)
'Pulse / Quartet' is the official release by Pulitzer Prize in Music winner and modern classical visionary, Steve Reich, of two of his previously written pieces:
'Pulse' was written in 2015 and is performed by the 35-member International Contemporary Ensemble, a group that dedicates themselves to chamber music "transforming the way music is created and experienced."
'Quartet,' a three movement piece writtin in 2013, is performed by the Colin Currie Group, led by Instrumentalist Award Winner and world renowned percussionist, Collin Currie.
photo taken by Armen Elliott and is CC3.0
'Pulse' is written and performed for ensemble: four violins, two violas, two flutes, two clarinets, electric bass and piano.
Composed off the back of 'Quartet', the piece maintains an peaceful air, with a rhythmic underscore that crescendos with, and without, the pulsing beneath emotion filled open interval harmonies that drive the piece.
Dipping in and out of dissonance and refrain, there is a soundtrack feel here, all the joys trials and tribulations of a day collapsed into its just under 15 minute span.
In Reich's words:
In Pulse I felt the need to stay put harmonically and spin out smoother wind and string melodic lines in canon over a constant pulse... All in all, a calmer more contemplative piece.
photo provided by the Colin Currie Group for promotional use
'Quartet' so named as it is written and performed by two pianos and two vibraphones, giving it a natural rhythmic and percussive feel - mallet striking string and key - as constant accompaniment to winding melodies.
Eschewing the associations of chamber quartet pieces being composed almost defaultly for strings, Reich has composed a piece that reminds of the bustles of everyday life, and the pauses we take to catch up with ourselves.
The feeling of motion in movements one and three are pushed forward by an almost train esque underlying rhythm that provides a passive foundation for the melody movements guiding the listener.
Only in the piece's second movement, Slow, is the listener presented with fully composed, synchronized harmonies that add an ethereal quality and give the movement a feeling of true, beautiful rest and contemplation.
In Reich's words:
[Quartet] is one of the more complex I have composed. It frequently changes key and often breaks off continuity to pause or take up new material... it calls for a high level of ensemble virtuosity. The form is one familiar throughout history: fast, slow, fast, played without pause.
photo provided by Nonesuch Records for promotional use
All in all, two very different pieces with a coursing theme, connecting them tenuously, despite the difference in voices, by Reich's usual challenging approach to the role of rhythm.
I find balance here, 'Pulse' being a piece that stirs emotions within me and paints pictures of busy subway commutes and a day in the life, 'Quartet' a piece of technical excellence and a jazz-tinged approach that piqued my interest in an atypical approach.
The richness in his approach coupled with the application of his vast experience will always imparting a special listening experience on those who approach Steve Reich's works with a calm mind and time to be lost, and 'Pulse / Quartet' is no different.
Modern Classical, Classical, Minimalist
for fans of: Terry Riley, Philip Glass
to purchase this album: amazon | nonesuch
let me know in the comments below!