Search - Steve Reich, John Adams :: Variations / Shaker Loops

Two Minimalist Classics - The Premiere Recordings!

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 04/05/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Though this electrifying CD was recorded and released in 1983 and was the premiere recording of these two wondrous compositions that are now staples of the repertoire, the CD has gone unrecognized. Perhaps with the new packaging now online and in the stores there will be a greater notice and hence appreciation of these performances by Edo de Waart and the San Francisco Symphony.



The Reich 'Variations for Winds, Strings, and Keyboards' from 1980 remains for this listener one of the more beautiful compositions Reich has created. It is lush harmonically and is the quintessential minimalist 'sound' - that of a pulsating, subtly changing ground of strings that supports the over statements by the keyboards and winds. It is nearly erotic in mood and De Waart knows exactly how to make it work.



John Adams 'Shaker Loops' was originally conceived as a string septet in 1977 and then adapted for string orchestra in 1982-83. The title refers to the spiritual reaction of the Shakers, a religious sect who fall into rapture and ecstatic shaking when the spirit enters their body. Adams does not mock this concept but rather honors it. The endlessly fascinating pulsations of the strings give way now and then to moments of contemplation. Again, as with the Reich piece, few listeners will be able to withhold emotional response to this very beautiful composition. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, April 06"

Reich's most serene masterpiece & a masterwork by John Adams

M. Holmes | Washington D.C., United States | 07/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Steve Reich is in my opinion the most important American composer alive (he will turn 70 in October), and in my view, he the most inspired and original composer of our age. Some prominent journalists actually share this view with me. This has been increasingly true since 1970's when he composed his first expansive and colorful works for chamber and larger ensembles. At that time, he had said all he had wanted to say in the "tape loop" genre, in which he experimented with temporal and spatial aural effects through manipulation of speeds and sampling certain sound bits inherent in recorded sound.



This CD is a reissue of one that was released in 1984. Decca has reissued it on its "Originals: Philips Legendary Recordings" series. Now that Philips is long out of business due to corporate conglomerates, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find older recordings that were geared toward a more specialized market. [As an aside: I always resent the fact that retailers label certain small market films and recordings as "Special Interest." This carries an obvious aura of mindless speeches by certain American politicians.]



In the so-called "minimalist" genre (terms that the composers themselves never like to use), there exist five great masterworks that may very well live long in the music history books as among the most important and influential works of the latter 20th Century. They are:



1) John Adams - Harmonium

2) Steve Reich - Music for 18 Musicians

3) Adams - Shaker Loops

4) Philip Glass - Einstein on the Beach (this one may be questionable for some)

5) Reich - Variations for Winds, Strings, and Keyboards



This recording has been a treasure for me ever since it was released. Why it went out of print is a big mystery for me. The 60th birthday dedication 10-CD near-complete compilation of all his music (released in 1996) left out the Variations San Francisco recording probably because of copyright reasons (either publisher or recording company). This was a real shame. Now, luckily, the recording has returned.



Regading John Adams's great masterwork "Shaker Loops." This legendary recording of the orchestral version still sounds as miraculous as ever. The recording is crystal clear, and the virtuosic San Francisco Symphony under the underrated Dutch conductor Edo de Waart is unsurpassable.



What an inspired labor of love this project was. I am hoping that it will stay back in print for many years to come.

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