Reich: Four Organs & Phase Patterns

Release Date: 23rd Apr 2012
Catalogue No: RDC5018
Label: Felmay

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Reich: Phase Patterns

Steve Reich (electric organ), Philip Glass (electric organ - 1), Art Murphy (electric organ), Steve Chambers (electric organ) & Jon Gibson (maracas - 1, electric organ - 2)

Reich: Four Organs

Steve Reich (electric organ), Philip Glass (electric organ - 1), Art Murphy (electric organ), Steve Chambers (electric organ) & Jon Gibson (maracas - 1, electric organ - 2)

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Originally released in 1970 on Shandar Records, this is a reissue of a seminal recording by the minimalist composer Steve Reich of two of his early works, Four Organs and Phase Patterns. It was the first available recording of Reich’s works played by live musicians and amongst the four electric organists are Steve Reich himself and fellow composer Philip Glass.

This is an unusual recording both for the instrumentation and for the music. Reich has very rarely used electric instruments in his music and the choice of four electric organs creates a sound that is very different from his other compositions. In ‘Four Organs’ we hear for the first time, Reich’s “slow motion music” with the basic chord becoming longer and longer. ‘Phase Patterns’ is based on the phasing process which is more complex due to the presence of the four performers and it anticipates Reich’s masterpiece ‘Drumming’.

Reich: Four Organs & Phase Patterns

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