These pieces, written more than a decade apart, show the changes that occurred in Reich's music. Six Marimbas is a re-scoring of Reich's Six Pianos (1973), one of his most mechanically oriented pieces. The continuing rhyth... more »ms are quite exhilarating, but some listeners find this music monotonous. I don't, but even I prefer the Sextet from 1985, which has more harmonic movement than Reich's earlier works. In either case, the music will appeal mostly to those who like rhythmically oriented percussion music, here composed by its greatest master. For many of us, Reich transcends the "minimalist" label and writes real music of lasting value. Try some. --Leslie Gerber« less
These pieces, written more than a decade apart, show the changes that occurred in Reich's music. Six Marimbas is a re-scoring of Reich's Six Pianos (1973), one of his most mechanically oriented pieces. The continuing rhythms are quite exhilarating, but some listeners find this music monotonous. I don't, but even I prefer the Sextet from 1985, which has more harmonic movement than Reich's earlier works. In either case, the music will appeal mostly to those who like rhythmically oriented percussion music, here composed by its greatest master. For many of us, Reich transcends the "minimalist" label and writes real music of lasting value. Try some. --Leslie Gerber
"Sextet/Six Marimbas represents a certain pinnacle in Steve Reich's career. While Six Marimbas is still classic minimalism (a necessary re-scoring of Six Pianos), Sextet is one of the most remarkable pieces of the last fifteen years. The piece more successfully integrates minimalist technique to the mainstream language of classical music, especially in the Third Movement. It also accomplishes a rare feat with percussion instruments: notes are given length, especially in the bowed vibraphone. The liner notes further explain Reich's composition ideas, but that isn't essential to enjoying the piece. Overall, Sextet successfully unites several academic ideas to produce beautiful sounding music."
Great CD
AgincourtDB | Gaithersburg, MD | 09/26/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Great cd, two great pieces by a master of the style. I write this review to rather pedantically correct other reviewers in that it is a bowed *vibraphone*, not bowed *marimba*, used to such interesting effect in the 'Sextet', as is made clear in the liner notes."
Wonderful
I X Key | tomorrow | 03/13/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Sextet is a very fun piece, with the gradually changing marimba melodies & also marimbas played with bows to get longer notes than a marimba can usually do. My favorite part of Sextet is the 3rd movement. & also, the way the 5th & final movement ends is amazing -- amazing -- it always leaves me breathless.As for Six Marimbas, it's one of my favorite Reich pieces. A rescoring of Six Pianos. I have both versions, & the rescoring improved the piece infinitely; with marimbas, you can hear each note so well. & the way the music changes always makes you so curious to see what the next note to change will be & how.This cd as a whole coheres so well, since the 2 different pieces that are melodically & rhythmically very different from each other are both for marimbas."
Wonderful music
Chris Hann | Alameda, CA United States | 06/19/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I first heard this music on the BBC in a tent on the north west coast of Scotland in a freezing winter gale. But they didn't back announce it, so I had no clue what I just listened to. For years all I had was the memory of this gorgeous sound circling in my head, if you listen to it you'll understand. Eventually a percussionist/tenor/conductor friend identified it from my description and I bought it the next day. This is such a wonderful overloaded harmony I just wish there was much more music like this. There aren't many pieces of music that have ever made such an impression on me that I searched for years and remember exactly where and how I first heard it. For me Sextet is the lesser of the two pieces, but still well worth having even if it was the only thing on the disk. This is a wonderful clean clear recording, buy it!"
LOVE IT!
Douglas Allen | South Orange, NJ | 06/14/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I can't get enough of "Six Marimbas". It is so soothing, warm and inviting. I listen to it over and over. I think "Six Marimbas" is one of Reich's most beautiful works."