SACDs - Reich

The American composer Steve Reich pioneered the style of minimalism in music. He has been hugely influential on contemporary composers such as John Adams, but also on the progressive rock movement of the 80s with bands such as King Crimson and rock musicians such as Brian Eno. The Guardian has described him as one of ‘a handful of living composers who can legitimately claim to have altered the direction of musical history’.

The Desert Music is perhaps Reich’s most ambitious orchestral score to date – a setting of texts by the American poet William Carlos Williams (1886 – 1963) for chorus and large orchestra. It is a highly symphonic piece which is inspired by Reich’s own travels in California’s Mojave Desert, the White Sands – and perhaps in particular the Alamagordo in New Mexico, which carries sinister associations with secret weapons of mass destruction and suggests a geographical link with the poet’s somber warning to mankind in the work’s central movement.

Another opportunity to write for large orchestra came when the St Louis Symphony Orchestra commissioned Reich to write his Three Movements. This work was premiered in St Louis under Leonard Slatkin in April 1986. As in The Desert Music, the sizeable string section is divided, here into two subsections which are placed to the left and right of the conductor to create the alternating antiphonal effect that is so characteristic of Reich’s style.

Hearing these performances, Steve Reich described them as ‘Incisive, focused, and intense’ and continued ‘this recording of Three Movements is the best I have ever heard. The Desert Music is full, rich, yet full of detail. Kristjan Järvi, the Tonkünstler-Orchester, and Sine Nomine perform with a relaxed rhythmic precision that perfectly fits the music. Bravo and thanks to all.’

This is the third SACD recording on Chandos by the Vienna-based Tonkünstler-Orchester, Niederösterreich under Kristjan Jarvi, its Chief Conductor and Music Director from 2004 – 2009. They are joined by Chorus Sine Nomine, one of Austria’s leading vocal ensembles and winner of numerous awards and prizes.

KUNIKO’s eagerly awaited second album includes world premiere recordings of the percussionist’s new arrangements of popular works by contemporary composers Arvo Pärt, Steve Reich and Hywel Davies.

All three composers have consulted upon, and approved, KUNIKO’s arrangements on ‘cantus’.

The pieces are arranged for five octave marimba or vibraphone and each was chosen to fully demonstrate the colours, depth and dynamics of the instrument.

KUNIKO gave the world premiere performance of Reich’s New York Counterpoint version for marimba in New York in 2012. KUNIKO won praise from the composer himself who stated: 'Kuniko Kato is a first rate percussionist.’

The simplicity and beauty of Arvo Pärt’s music has won the composer many fans. In turn Pärt is a fan of KUNIKO’s arrangements having approved the new versions premiered on this album.

KUNIKO has arranged four of his best-loved pieces including Cantus, a fitting tribute to Benjamin Britten in 2013, his 100th anniversary year.

Purl Ground is an original piece written by British composer Hywel Davies, which KUNIKO premiered at the Cheltenham Festival in 2011 to critical acclaim. The piece is arranged for solo marimba and makes excellent use of both tremolo and pianissimo effects.

KUNIKO is a soloist who is recognised around the world as one of the most gifted and significant percussionists of her generation in today’s contemporary and classical music scene.

KUNIKO’s debut ‘kuniko plays reich’ was acclaimed by the media becoming Linn’s bestselling album of 2011.

In 2012 KUNIKO completed a world tour playing at venues in America, France, Israel, Italy, Switzerland, Japan and Australia.

KUNIKO has worked with Seji Ozawa, Toru Takemitsu, James Wood, Steve Reich, Keiko Harada, Franco Donatoni and others.

‘kuniko plays reich’ features three premiere arrangements of Steve Reich’s Electric Counterpoint for electric guitar and tape, Six Marimbas op. tr and Vermont Counterpoint. The exciting arrangements were all created in consultation with Reich (who has contributed to the booklet).

The recording showcases KUNIKO’s new live solo marimba part that accompanies the prerecorded tape of five marimbas in Six Marimbas Counterpoint.

KUNIKO's passion for Steve Reich's music and her commitment to creating the perfect sound led her to work alongside several greatly respected producers and engineers.

KUNIKO is a soloist who is recognised around the world as one of the most gifted and significant percussionists of her generation in today’s contemporary and classical music scene.

'Kuniko Kato is a first rate percussionist who has put a lot of careful thought and hours of rehearsal into making this excellent CD. She has created new and very beautiful arrangements.' Steve Reich, 2011

In this 4 SACD set, NEOS music presents the first Salzburg Biennale, the new contemporary music festival which took place over four weekends in March 2009. The festival brought about many musical encounters and the collection includes works by Cage, Furrer, Hosokawa, Huber, Kurtág, Ligeti, Reich, Sotelo, Ustvolskaya and Yeznikian.