Brussels Philharmonic & Vlaams Radiokoor - Reich: The Desert Music
Federation des Associations Portugaises de Belgique
Eugène Flageyplein 18, 1050 Elsene, België
Brussels Capital
50.8271016
4.372799
“All great music is contemporary. If it's still alive and kicking, then it's contemporary.” - Steve Reich
Steve Reich was at the origins of a new musical style in the 1960s: minimal music. Repetitive motifs, powerful rhythms, music that stood on its own – the listener having no other hold than time, space and the surroundings in which it is heard.
In 1983, Reich was ready to set aside his reservations about large formations: until that time, he thought that symphonic ensembles lacked the rhythmic versatility and precision necessary for his music. The Desert Music shows that it can, and shows us a milder Reich as he explores the new possibilities.
His ability to communicate social and philosophical questions in music also comes to the fore here: with the dark poetry of William Carlos Williams as the engine that unrolls a constant rhythmical canvas, Reich addresses the destructive whims of humanity.
