Steve Reich: Six Pianos

A unique ensemble of six pianists gives a rare performance of Steve Reich’s hypnotising Six Pianos. In this minimalist classic, the pianos constantly move and change relative to one another, akin to a three-dimensional mobile revolving inwardly. This is preceded by two equally expansive piano structures by Julia Wolfe and Julius Eastman. Luminaries like Aretha Franklin and Johann Sebastian Bach inspire the fascinating, intricate patterns of repetition within them.

Julia Wolfe’s My lips from speaking is based on the opening chords of Think, Aretha Franklin’s 1960s hit. Franklin’s chords are fragmented and built upon, culminating in an explosion of ecstatic, jazzy trance. Bach’s chorale, Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, serves as the core of Julius Eastman’s Gay Guerilla for four pianos, a modern chorale fantasy where minimal music integrates Bach’s venerable art.