Classical and Jazz: Preview - Steve Reich weekender: six-session marathon, on May 7 and 8 at LSO St Luke’s/Barbican
Published: 5 May, 2011
by SEBASTIAN TAYLOR
THE European premiere of WTC 9/11 by US composer Steve Reich is being given at a marathon weekender of his revolutionary music at the Barbican this weekend.
In the piece, the pulsating strings of the Kronos Quartet blend with recorded voices from people at Ground Zero and nearby at the time.
An air traffic controller rhythmically utters: “No contact with the pilot, no contact with the pilot whatsoever.”
Reich obtained voices of emergency officials and recordings of people living near the World Trade Center, including one saying: “Suddenly, it was black outside.”
The closing movement draws on Reich’s devotion to Judaism, honouring the Jewish tradition of shmira, where a person watches over a dead body and sings or recites psalms or biblical verses.
Other Reich pieces to be played include his famous Clapping Music, Music for Pieces of Wood and the London premiere of Bang on a Can.
• Steve Reich weekender: six-session marathon, on May 7 and 8 at LSO St Luke’s/Barbican. Call 0845 120 7500 or visit barbican.org.uk/reverberations