Steve Reich at 90: The Four Sections
Restless. Mesmerising. Where time melts away.
Who’s on stage
Colin Currie is at the helm; he’s joined by Bryce Dessner, yes, The National guitarist and a long-time Reich champion, plus our friends the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
What they’re playing
Some of Steve Reich’s most iconic works: Three Movements, Variations for Winds, Strings and Keyboards, Electric Counterpoint, and The Four Sections.
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: 2 hours, including a 20 minute interval.
Age: under 14s must be accompanied by an adult.
What you'll hear
Steve Reich Three Movements
Steve Reich Variations for Winds, Strings and Keyboards
Steve Reich Electric Counterpoint
Steve Reich Four Sections
Who's playing it
Colin Currie conductor
Bryce Dessner electric guitar
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
What's happening in the music
Steve Reich’s music is made of movement. Patterns shift, collide, and reform. The smallest rhythm grows into something vast. A single chord can shimmer like glass.
In Three Movements, the music constantly moves and turns. Repeating figures stretch and ripple until you lose track of where the downbeat lands. Variations for Winds, Strings and Keyboards is a kaleidoscope of colour. Chords slide past one another, glowing one moment, dissolving the next.
Electric Counterpoint, written for both pre-recorded and live guitars, turns repetition into a trance. With Bryce Dessner at its heart, expect a sound both mechanical and deeply human. Then The Four Sections pulls the whole orchestra into Reich’s pulsing universe – strings, winds, brass and percussion stacked into layers that vibrate with raw power.
Take a listen
Bryce Dressner made a name for himself with indie band The National, but the Yale composition graduate began exploring other avenues, entering the ‘classical’ music world and, of course, encountering Steve Reich. Watch Bryce, Steve and Max Richter in this beautiful performance to get a little idea of what you might be able to expect.
