Steve Reich Phase to Face

A student of Darius Milhaud and Luciano Berio musician Steve Reich born in 1936 quickly developed a style of his own inspired by Baroque music Bartók Webern and Stravinsky as well as jazz traditional music especially African and Hebrew cantillation As a trailblazing exponent of minimalist music Reich rejected the characteristic complexity of mid20thcentury classical harmony and tonality in order to make largescale works from minimal materials a single chord a brief musical motif a spoken exclamation thereby reconciling sacred and popular music In this profile he looks back on the key stages of his 40years lasting career from the formation of his own group Steve Reich and Musicians to the American avantgarde he helped to create from new video performances to his quasireligious music Despite his success and wide recognition Steve Reich has never renounced his independent spirit