Part of Reich, Glass, Adams: The Sounds That Changed America
Sat 5-Sun 6 Nov 2016, Milton Court Concert Hall, Barbican Hall
In the 2016-17 season, the Barbican and its resident and associate orchestras celebrate the birthdays of three composers who have changed the face of American music: Steve Reich and Philip Glass who both turn 80 this season, and John Adams who turns 70.
A weekend of Steve Reich’s music kicks off the series on 5 November. That evening, Britten Sinfonia, conducted by Clark Rundell, performs a special birthday concert inspired by Reich’s engagement with world events. The programme includes Different Trains; the prescient Three Tales (Hindenburg, Bikini and Dolly), Reich's collaboration with video-artist Beryl Korot, which examines the themes of air travel, nuclear testing and genetic engineering; the European premiere of Pulse, also a Barbican co-commission; and a programme entitled Electric Reich featuring New York based electric guitar ensemble Dither playing Electric Counterpoint arranged for 13 electric guitars and the ground-breaking Pendulum Music.
Earlier in the day, Guildhall School Musicians perform Reich’s City Life, and his minimalist masterpiece Drumming, after receiving coaching from the composer. Sunday begins with an LSO Discovery Day on Steve Reich and concludes with a concert where the LSO, conducted by Kristjan Järvi, performs Reich’s You Are (Variations), Daniel Variations and The Desert Music. As part of the birthday celebration, filmmaker and video artist Tal Rosner has a created a two-channel video installation in response to Steve Reich's 1981 work Tehillim (the original Hebrew word for "Psalms").
