Steve Reich: The String Quartets

Steve Reich's "The String Quartets" is a compelling collection of the composer's seminal works for string quartet, performed by the acclaimed Mivos Quartet. Released on February 3, 2023, via Deutsche Grammophon, this album spans nearly a quarter-century of Reich's innovative compositional journey, from 1988 to 2010. The album features three of Reich's most significant string quartet works: "Different Trains," "Triple Quartet," and "WTC 9/11."

"Different Trains," composed in 1988, is a groundbreaking piece that uses pre-recorded speech and train sounds to explore the composer's memories of traveling by train across America during the 1930s and '40s, juxtaposed with the starkly different experiences of European Jews during the same period. "Triple Quartet," created in 1998, is a sprawling work that combines live string quartet with a pre-recorded version of itself, creating a rich, layered sound. "WTC 9/11," completed in 2010, is a profound response to the September 11 attacks, incorporating recorded voices and sounds from the events.

The Mivos Quartet brings their renowned precision and expressive depth to these works, offering a fresh and powerful interpretation of Reich's unique blend of minimalism, avant-garde, and classical styles. With a running time of just under an hour, this album is an essential addition to any contemporary classical music collection, showcasing the enduring relevance and impact of Steve Reich's compositions.

Steve Reich, born in New York in 1936, is a pioneering American composer renowned for his groundbreaking work in minimalist music. Often hailed as "America's greatest living composer" and "the most original musical thinker of our time," Reich's compositions are characterised by their use of repetitive patterns, slow harmonic changes, and intricate canons. His innovative approach, as articulated in his essay "Music as a Gradual Process," focuses on making musical processes perceptible, allowing the listener to experience the evolution of sound over time. Reich's early works, such as those that employ phase shifting, create mesmerising new musical patterns through the subtle manipulation of tempo and timing. Throughout his career, Reich has explored a diverse range of influences, from Western classical music to non-Western traditions, resulting in a rich and varied body of work that continues to inspire and captivate audiences worldwide.