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The magic of minimalism BBC4

Got to be honest. I've never heard this before. I like it.

But I can't get the lead bass line from tubular bells out of my head

But at least now you know where Oldfield nicked it all from.

I first heard Riley & Reich's music on the 1970 Prom which had the Soft Machine in the second half. If memory serves, Reich's Four Organs and Riley's Keyboard Studies.
 
Great to see Riley in good form and just as good to see Young still with us. I am looking forward to the next episode as this one was well put together.
 
One of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen live was Reich’s Piano Phase sometime back in the ‘80s at the Liverpool Phil. Two pianos, two pianists, one phrase, one pianist playing very, very, slightly ahead of the other. The level of precision required to get all the phasing effects and counter-rhythms as the notes move glacially against each other remains beyond my comprehension, we are talking accuracy down to milliseconds. Really astonishing stuff. So easy to do with tape loops (where Reich started), even easier on a digital sampler, but live with two pianos?! How the hell do they play that?
 
One of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen live was Reich’s Piano Phase sometime back in the ‘80s at the Liverpool Phil. Two pianos, two pianists, one phrase, one pianist playing very, very, slightly ahead of the other. The level of precision required to get all the phasing effects and counter-rhythms as the notes move glacially against each other remains beyond my comprehension, we are talking accuracy down to milliseconds. Really astonishing stuff. So easy to do with tape loops (where Reich started), even easier on a digital sampler, but live with two pianos?! How the hell do they play that?

That’s a bit like his clapping music - though in that one of the players goes out of sync by an eighth note every 8 to 12 bars. I wouldn’t have a car in hell’s chance of doing that.

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I find this kind of repetitive music uncomfortable to listen to - I don’t mean I don’t like it, but it messes with my brain.
 
I don’t know if it’s just me, but I find this kind of repetitive music uncomfortable to listen to - I don’t mean I don’t like it, but it messes with my brain.

It is probably meant to! I’ve liked minimalism for a very long time now and have a fair chunk of Reich, Glass, Riley, Nyman etc on vinyl from back when I first discovered it in in the mid-80s. It has been a part of my life ever since. I far prefer the real ‘minimal’ minimalism to what it became later, when it became formulaic and over-orchestrated (thinking mainly of Glass here - I don’t like the later stuff at all). I love the whole ‘where’s Waldo’ thing with the down-beat, Glass’ Music In 12 Parts being a great example of that. It also fits in very well with a lot of Krautrock and was a very clear influence on the techno/dance scene. I played Riley’s Rainbow In Curved Air last night followed by a bit of Glass’ Einstein On The Beach. Really superb stuff IMO. I can certainly relax with it, though I know other’s can’t or are even irritated by it! I understand what Riley was saying about the connection to Indian Raga etc, but I’d not really picked up on that aspect. I guess I came to it via Krautrock so kind of approach it the way I would early Tangerine Dream or Cluster rather than thinking of it as being in the classical tradition at all.
 
Went to his California Kirana concert in RCNM 2010 having mutual connections via Sufis and Pandit Pran Nath we spent some time together after the concert even with this intro I gushingly i admitted his Rainbow in Curved Air lp cover was/ is one of my alltime favourite covers and I asked him to sign it...but even he said it was too good to sign ...an amazingly tuned in artist

I know of no other musical piece that is so random and yet structured and yet changes so much

the original cbs 'In C' record has a performance that is now imo frequently bettered by all sorts of efforts without Terrys presence...as musicians have sort of caught up with the vibe with more exposure to world music

In my minds eye Im hearing that scratch orchestra that Eno touched in with..Portsmouth sinfonia? playing In C...
 
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ENO was a member of The Scratch Orchestra, alongside such luminaries as Cornelius Cardew, and a member of The Portsmouth Sinfonia. It is highly unlikely that The Scratch Orchestra would have played In C, but then you never know, it attempted to be a democratic orchestra.

Many of the musicians and composers represented on Eno’s Obscure record label had a connection with the Scratch Orchestra. Some Obscure titles take minimalism as a starting point - the Jan Steele/John Cage Music for Voices And Instruments being a personal favourite.

I’d urge anyone to listen to all the Pandit Pran Nath they can get their hands on; beautiful, captivating music.
 
I liked it so much I’ve now seen it twice. Like others I’ve enjoyed this music for a long time and liked the way it leaked into electronica and techno.

This is worth checking out if you liked the rags influences on Riley’s music.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/s/re...y+in+c&sprefix=brooklyn+rag&crid=CK6B0QYSD4HE

You can listen to a bit of it here ( as well as on Spotify etc)

https://bkragamassive.bandcamp.com/

Kevin

I was perusing that earlier - looks interesting
 
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If anyone stumbles on this thread looking for recommendations mine would be:

Terry Riley - A Rainbow In Curved Air, it is just wonderful and so approachable. If you like ambient electronica etc you’ll love it.

Philip Glass - Einstein On The Beach. His masterpiece. Long, repetitive, but a wonderful introduction to the genre as not only is it superb but it also does a lot of the counting stuff with the vocals so you can see how the time signatures are always on the move.

Steve Reich - Phases. It is so cheap and his individual CDs often so expensive it makes little sense not to dive right in with his core work here. The alternative is this ECM Recordings box, which is shorter, but where there are works in common I prefer these versions. For individual works I’d go for Octet & Music For Eighteen Musicians on ECM.
 
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The Vocals in
The Vocals
Vocals in
Einstein
Einstein on
Einstein on the
Einstein on the Beach
Beach
Beach
Beach
Is
Is an
Is an acquired
Is an acquired taste

So I'd recommend Koyaanisqatsi as an easier start.

Also John Adams' Shaker Loops and The Chairman Dances
 
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I'd love the fact that something like 'In C' is different every time it's played. I've seen Reich in concert a handful of times, and feel that the wonderful Different Trains is often the first piece to bring in strangers to his work, although Piano Phase is another easy entry.

Mick
 
If anyone stumbles on this thread looking for recommendations mine would be:

Philip Glass - Einstein On The Beach. His masterpiece. Long, repetitive, but a wonderful introduction to the genre as not only is it superb but it also does a lot of the counting stuff with the vocals so you can see how the time signatures are always on the move.

.


Einstein On The Beach is also available as a DVD - which is good fun. (2 discs}
 
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My big Philip Glass complete Sony CD 80th birthday tribute box arrived in the post today. 24 CDs, I already have quite a few, but this is a bargain. Most of his best music with a small hard back booklet. Akhnaten is playing, great immersive opera.
 


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