Steve Reich: Reverberations (Session 3) – Barbican, London 07/05/2011

17 May 2011, 13:00 | Written by Adam Elmahdi

(Live)

Not all of us can claim to have our birthdays celebrated with six sold-out classical concerts featuring some of the most celebrated and innovative musicians in the world today, but then again, not all of us are Steve Reich. One of the most influential composers of the 20th century, he was a pioneer of minimalism, that hallowed preserve of the avant-garde that features repetitive musical phrases, often sustained over a long (some might say interminable) period of time with only the most glacial shifts in tone, melody or tempo.

Tonight’s programme isn’t entirely devoted to minimalist works, but there’s definitely a sense of experimentalism on show throughout, whether in the form of Michael Gordon’s inspired and discordant reworking of Beethoven’s 7th, or the kazoo-laden lightheartedness of Tyondai Braxton’s “Central Market.”

Of all the acts, it is perhaps Dan Deacon who invokes the spirit of Reich most faithfully. Now, the concept of the Baltimore electro-deity taking up the mantle of minimalism may initially seem as incongruous a concept as compassionate Conservatism, but his reputation for bringing the party in fact belies his years of classical compositional studies. Of course, it wouldn’t be Dan Deacon if there wasn’t some weird twist or gimmick – and tonight this consists of a series of two litre soft drink bottles suspended from a rail, forming the starting point of So Percussion’s half-hour polyrhythmic extravaganza.

The National’s Bryce Dessner also provides an impressive offering in ‘Aheym’, a moving tribute to his grandmother beautifully performed by the Kronos Quartet, and of course Reich’s own contributions are warmly received, not least the stripped-down majesty of WTC 9/11 which incorporates recording and interviews from that terrible day.

It’s just a shame that the curators try to fit so much in one evening – the show over-runs by almost two hours, and even Reich’s most ardent devotees must start to flag by the six hour mark. Before the show, composer David Lang says that tonight will be a “marathon, but one we hope you think as a banquet rather than an ordeal.” By the end, it seems a bit too much like the latter.