Tune in to hear Steve Reich today on WNYC's Soundcheck. The composer will discuss his latest piece, WTC 9/11, which will be given its NY premiere in a performance by Kronos Quartet this Saturday at Carnegie Hall, in an all-Reich concert celebrating his 75th birth year. (Listen to a recent Q2 program on the Carnegie Hall concert here.) Also on today's Soundcheck is a live set from Timothy Andres, who was recently named one of the top 100 Composers Under 40 by NPR and Q2. Soundcheck names Emmylou Harris's Hard Bargain a Pick of the Week.
Tune in to hear Steve Reich on today's episode of Soundcheck, the daily music show from New York NPR member station WNYC. The composer will discuss his latest piece, WTC 9/11, which will be given its New York premiere in a performance by Kronos Quartet this Saturday at Carnegie Hall, as part of an all-Reich concert celebrating his 75th birth year. The concert also includes performances by eighth blackbird, So Percussion, and Bang on a Can All-Stars and Friends featuring Glenn Kotche and the New York premieres of Mallet Quartet and 2x5, as well as a performance of Double Sextet, for which Reich earned the Pulitzer Prize in 2009. (Soundcheck host John Schaefer happened to chair the jury that chose Reich's the piece for the Pulitzer Prize.)
"Not everyone gets worldwide tribute concerts when they turn 75—but if anyone deserves it, it’s probably composer Steve Reich," says WNYC. "The American minimalist giant has been deemed one of the nation’s most influential composers, and his innovative use of everything from hand claps to tape loops has inspired musicians like Sufjan Stevens and Brian Eno."
Also on today's program is a live in-studio performance from pianist/composer Timothy Andres, who was recently named one of the top 100 Composers Under 40 by NPR and Q2, as was Jonny Greenwood. Andres will join pianist Marc Peloquin in performing selections from Andres's Shy and Mighty at the Tenri Cultural Institute in New York on Saturday.
And, finally, on Soundcheck, the show will share its two music Picks of the Week, one of which is Emmylou Harris's new album, Hard Bargain. "The often-autobiographical songs on her twenty-fifth release offer weary and wise retrospection on some painful memories," says WNYC's Katie Macpherson. And yet, the album also takes those challenges head on. "Tough times, bring it on. You’re no match for this feisty legend."
Tune in to Soundcheck today at 2 PM ET and again at 10 PM on 93.9 FM in New York City and streaming live online at wnyc.org.
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Reich also spoke with The Fader about WTC 9/11 and this Saturday's concert for an interview you can read at thefader.com. Earlier this week, Q2 spoke with some of the performers on this Saturday's all-Reich Carnegie Hall concert about the composer and his influences. You can now listen to the program below, featuring Bang on a Can co-founder David Lang, Kronos Quartet's Jeffrey Zeigler, and Lisa Kaplan of eighth blackbird:
The show features the Nonesuch recording of Reich's 2x5. Yesterday, Nonesuch released 2x5 Remixed, a new, three-track digital EP, available at iTunes, featuring the winning entries in the 2010 contest to remix the third movement from 2x5, as chosen by the composer. For more information on this and all the recordings in the Reich Nonesuch catalog, visit the Nonesuch Store now.
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