MU2025

51767175

One piece that provoked a strong reaction in me is Steve Reich’s “Music for Eighteen
Musicians”. The piece is a really simple minimalist work which I loved listening too. It is a
very vibrant piece with lots of twists and turns and really feels like its constantly evolving
and changing. It is based around 11 chords and rotates in a cycle with each ‘movement’
being based on these chords. Although it is written to be performed as one big 56-minute
piece, it really feels like a symphony or a suite of music with the different melodies and
themes relating back to each other. Reich is known for his weird and wacky compositions,
notably a piece called “Clapping Music”, which uses the same percussion melody and every
time it repeats it slowly gets more and more separated. This one however is more standard
within the minimalism genre and appeals to the ears well and also makes for an interesting
listen.

The biggest thing about this that made me feel extremely focused and centred is due to
with the genre of the piece. What is common with a lot of minimalist music is that it is very
intense if you are sitting with headphones on and zoning out. I found it very relaxing as the
music took you away to a different world and you could feel every pulsating rhythm as the
piece develops. As the piece goes on it keeps you in a trans-like state with the constant
marimba pulsing in the background you can notice and feel every little change that they
make in the composition. It is also quite nostalgic to listen too which is quite therapeutic
within it all. American minimalism is a sub-genre within music known for its simplicity and
being ever changing, this means there is a real style within the form that appeals to listeners
within the genre, something I admire about within the composition.

One thing that made the composition more appealing to me was the orchestration. As the
title suggests it is written for 18 parts1 and include, Violin, Cello, Clarinet (Bb and Bass),
Xylophone, Marimba, Piano, Shaker and Female voice. The way Reich uses the constant
blending of the human voice echoing after the bass clarinet is really something to be
mesmerised by, due to his writing by cleverly swapping between a vibrato violin going into
the calls of a soprano with the microphone strategically moving to get a pulsating vibe. This

1
This is not advised due to a lot of the parts being doubled (i.e. one part is Marimba, Xylophone AND Piano) so
is often split up.
 MU2025
51767175

is something I will be taking forward into my own practice by not being scared to try
different ensembles. The experimentation could potentially blossom some new pairings that
I wasn’t immediately thinking of and can create some immense sounds. I also am trying the
blending idea that Reich implements in this piece. This is something I haven’t properly
experimented with before this course but will 100% be taking it forward in the future. There
is a real beauty in this as it makes the music breath better and feel less constricted.

Form is something I want to experiment with as well. In this composition, as I previously

said, it is based on 11 chords2, each with their own melody, like a theme and variation style
work. The chords are all consonance and each, by themselves, are already quite powerful
but together they create this nostalgic resonance as a whole. The thing that I love about this
form is that it is so simple, yet amazing. Instead of having a standard ABA form or a story
arch to the piece, this opened up a world of thinking about composition differently. Reich
uses these chords (It is not a traditional progression) to create motifs that all relate to the
same idea that is presented at that the start on the marimba, just modulated and altered
with different moods. I want to use unconventional composing strategies like this in the
future with my own work as I feel It can bring out unexpected surprises within my
compositional techniques.

Reich has used an impressive amount of different timbre in the piece. As I previously stated
in the orchestration section of this discussion, the use of extremely diverse instrumentation
really created this unique mix of effects. The low bass clarinet playing the vibrato pedal
notes that create a wave effect with the dynamics. As it is going in and out of being the
prominent feature and the accompaniment the timbre is used effectively to create suspense
in the piece. The higher violin strings really integrate well with the female voicing as they
complement the same waving effect of the bass clarinet. This unusual pairing of the female
voice and a bass clarinet is really mesmerising as the voice is covering the missing harmonic
from the bass clarinet. I really loved that he used his researching capabilities3 to try these
unique combinations.

2
The video linked demonstrates all the chords on a piano. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjQBFiVJso8
3
Also, probably asked a lot of his instrumental friends for tips
 MU2025
51767175

Rhythm is one of the key factors in this piece as it is the driving force throughout it. Reich
has managed to create a constant pulse that is felt throughout the piece, this is something I
really admire in his composition as-well as other works by Reich. What I love about the
piece rhythm wise is that, even though there is a strong pulse throughout he likes to play
with where the beat actually lies. As the piece goes through its many variations there is this
constant ambiguity to if the piece is syncopated or actually on the beat. Each variation has a
different take on where the strong beats are and this is something I strongly admire. The
real magic is when we get the transitional parts in the piece, when the blending of
syncopation and on-beat creates this rhythmic mine-field that is extremely interesting to
listen to as a spectator. This is incredibly fascinating to listen to because you never really
know where the melody starts and end creating the sense of ambiguity that Reich is aiming
to achieve through-out the inter-weaving parts.

One thing that made me love the piece is the give and take between composer and
musicians. Traditionally in the sense of composing it has been left to the composer to write
specific instructions and the musicians copy, less of a collaborative process. Within this
composition however there are a lot of markings like “repeat until cue”4 (noted below)
which prompt a more collaborative process of music making between the two forces. This is
really interesting as it isn’t something I have never actually looked at as a composer. Reich
giving them the chance to play with his music with their own intent and make it more of an
experience with the music rather than being a replica performance done by some musicians
or ensemble. I love the fact he has created something that he doesn’t mind collaborating
with other people so they can also create something with it. Taking this forward, I am really
excited to try and blend the lines between performer and composer all together making a
really collaborative and immersive performance.

4
Music for 18 Musicians, Steve Reich, https://www.scribd.com/document/89438079/Music-for-18-Musicians,
Accessed November 19th 2018
 MU2025
51767175

Extract from the score4

Finally, the last thing I would like to comment about is the melody, or lack off in this
instance. In this piece there is no clearly melody in the traditional sense5 but even with the
lack of soloist there is still a melody that is felt, it is just abstract compared to the usual
being obvious. This is something that, as a new listener to American minimalist music, is
something I have never heard of or even thought about. It feels like he has adapted a hocket
style technique, a technique mainly used in renaissance music to split the melody between
different instruments or voices, to have the tune come in and out of prominence. This is
something I will take into my own practice as a composer. Something I also love about this is
that even though there is no melody in the traditional sense, it can be argued the chord
structure I previously mentioned is in fact the melody. This changes the whole
interpretation of melody and creates a more unified approach rather than a line focusing on
intervals.

5
In the sense of solo instrument with an accompanist
 MU2025
51767175

Steve Reich’s “Music for 18 musicians” is truly a fantastic piece that has a lot of musical
integrity in really playing with time and the lack of melody. There is a real sense of meaning
behind it and the semi-freedom the musicians are giving to be able to play with what is in
front of them is really inspiring to watch as every performance there for becomes more and
more personal to the audience and musicians. Taking this forward into my own composing, I
hope to use some of the techniques the Reich used so someone else feels and emotional
reaction to one of my works.
 MU2025
51767175

Bibliography

Scores

Music for Eighteen Musicians

Steve Reich
https://www.scribd.com/document/89438079/Music-for-18-Musicians
Accessed November 19th 2018.

Word Count : 1526