Steve Reich at 90: Different Trains
Rhythm. Power. Sparks will fly
Who’s on stage
Two musical trailblazers – percussionist Colin Currie and guitarist/composer Bryce Dessner – join forces with Royal Northern Sinfonia for an electrifying afternoon of music that pushes rhythm to its limits.
What they’re playing
Let your ears feast on four incredible pieces by Bryce Dessner – Tromp Miniature, Garcia Counterpoint, Aheym and Murder Ballades, as well as Steve Reich’s most ground-breaking and emotionally powerful works, Different Trains.
Need to know
Discounts: save if you’re under 17, aged 18 – 30, a classical first timer, or a group of 10 or more people. Check the details.
Multibuy: book two concerts and save 15%, book three or more and save 20%, across the Steve Reich at 90 weekend.
Running time: 1 hour 30 minutes, no interval.
What you'll hear
Bryce Dessner Murder Ballades
Bryce Dessner Tromp Miniature
Bryce Dessner Garcia Counterpoint
Steve Reich Different Trains
Bryce Dessner Aheym
Who's playing it
Colin Currie conductor/percussion
Bryce Dessner electric guitar
Royal Northern Sinfonia
What's happening in the music
At the heart of the programme is Steve Reich’s Different Trains, a landmark work and his own personal reflection of the Holocaust. Blending voices, string quartet and pulsing rhythms to haunting effect.
Bryce Dessner brings his own works to the stage too: the driving Tromp Miniature, the intricate Garcia Counterpoint, and Aheym, a surging, emotional journey written about his grandmother’s immigrant story. Add to that the darkly playful Murder Ballades and you’ve got a night of lyrical beauty and unstoppable energy.
Take a listen
Hear Steve Reich talking about the composition of Different Trains.
