Steve Reich's Four Organs [Import]

Steve Reich (Composer), Arthur Murphy (Performer), Jon Gibson (Performer), Philip Glass (Performer), Steve Chambers (Performer), Steve Reich (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Arthur Murphy, Jon Gibson, Philip Glass, Steve Chambers, Steve Reich
• Composer: Steve Reich
• Audio CD (January 1, 2000)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Import
• Label: Retro Music
• ASIN: B000059RYK
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #661,577 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Four Organs

2. Phase Patterns

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars If the price wasn't so good, I'd give it 1 star., October 13, 2002

By 

Kevin Currie-Knight "Education Grad Student" (Newark, Delaware) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Steve Reich's Four Organs (Audio CD)

Let me tell you, was I excited when I found this. These are the premier recordings of both 'Four Organs' (which I love or hate depending on my mood) and 'Phase Patterns' (which is an obscure piece anyway.) Philip Glass even performs on this CD. It only took one listen, however, to tell me that I was overcharged.

First, the good things. While there are quite a few recordings of 'Four Organs,' most are very dry and mechanical, coming off as unbearable towards the end. Here is a recording that actually DOES have a bit more life to it- likely because the older recordings reveal the piece's freshness.

O.K. That's all for the good stuff. Here's the bad. 'Phase Patterns' is so sloppy that I'm suprised this recording was released at all for fear of embarassment. Really, I'm not kidding. The beauty of Reich's phase-work (and it is beautiful, when done right) is the forward-motion, due both to the pushing ahead of each phase and the steady drive of the insturments when they're locked in to a figure. Problem is, the musicians sounded like they were all on different tempos, fluctuating at will. There are many better recordings of both of these works- the best being the 'ensemble avantgarde's. It has both these two pieces, piano phase and pendulum music. Get that one instead.