Drumming

Steve Reich (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 28, 1992)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Nonesuch
• ASIN: B000005IYP
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,841 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #1 in Music > Classical > Instruments > Percussion
  • #1 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Modern, 20th, & 21st Century > Composers > Reich, Steve
  • #9 in Music > Dance & DJ > Techno > Minimal Techno

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hypnotic Dance/Complexity Theory, January 11, 2003

By 

C. Gardner (Washington D.C., D.C. United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Drumming (Audio CD)

This hour-plus piece of music is based upon a single, measure-long rhythmic fragment which lasts perhaps two seconds, but when played out-of-phase with itself generates an incredible variety of "emergent" patterns. Scored for various percussion (bongos, maribas, glockenspiel), voice, and whistle, listeners get to hear how these instruments create new emergent melodies on the fragment through the percussions' differing harmonic profiles. This is a great example of process music, and may put you in a trance. It rewards both close and relaxed listening (when one's attention is diverted then re-trained, missing one's "place" in the relentless, driving pulse, it sounds like a differently-arranged piece!)

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good stuff, April 27, 2000

By 

George Grella "Urbane citizen" (Brooklyn) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Drumming (Audio CD)

Since the old, 2CD DG recording of this piece is not available, this is the only choice. "Drumming" is a very fine work by Reich, more rigorous and less immediately lovely than "Music for 18 Musicians," but rewarding nonetheless. It's an important transition piece between his early work and "18." The first section is literally all drumming, and builds through an arch structure using Reich's technique of rhytmic patterns moving in and out of phase. The following sections add tuned percusion, e.g. marimbas, and move towards his newer style of more harmonic richness, with chords gradually building, shifting, conflicting and moving to new tonal centers. Obviously, if Reich's style of Minimalism doesn't appeal, you won't like this CD. But if you enjoy his other work, this will be a great addition to your collection.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Ok, but the old DG version is much better, July 16, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Drumming (Audio CD)

Preface - Probably not for first time Reich buyers (along with Four Organs). Newcomers should get Music for 18 Musicians or Different Trains....

I have to admit I heard the old DG version first on LP many years ago, and have looked for that version on CD ever since. When this version came out, I bought it immediately. In comparison to the DG version, it doesn't hold up.

This version is at least 20 minutes shorter (perhaps a feature for some;) ) than the DG version, but the gradual changes in this version don't happen nearly gradually enough, especially the sections where different players go in and out of phase with each other. It happens so quickly here that it just sounds like the players flubbed their parts. The slower pace of the DG version makes the subtle changes in the piece that much more rewarding.

I was later able to locate a copy of the DG version on CD, and this one has been gathering dust ever since. But since no other version is available, this is worth a listen.