In Thursday’s (4/14) Globe and Mail (Canada), Robert Harris interviews composer Steve Reich, who will turn 80 in October. “Q: Does turning 80 mean anything to you? … A: … What’s gratifying about the past is … seeing people … who weren’t born when I wrote the pieces that they’re playing—not only just playing them, but playing them idiomatically with the right feeling, with technical expertise—that’s wonderful…. I’ve devoted my life—with the exception of two tape pieces—to writing live music for live musicians. Q: How would you characterize the state of contemporary classical music today? A: I’ve been appointed composer-in-residence for Carnegie Hall. And they said, well—what do you want to do? I said I want to curate a series of concerts called Three Generations, from Serialism to the Music of Today. First generation is myself, Phil Glass, Terry Riley, Arvo Part and John Adams…. Second generation is Bang on a Can—that’s Michael Gordon and David Lang and Julia Wolfe…. Generation three will be limited to Nico Muhly and Bryce Dessner, for now…. There’s an enormous number of young composers doing wonderful things…. To some extent it harkens back to what we were doing 50 years ago.”
Posted April 19, 2016
