Music As A Gradual Process-Reich

Steve Reich: Music as a Gradual Process: Part I
Author(s): K. Robert Schwarz

Source: Perspectives of New Music, Vol. 19, No. 1/2 (Autumn, 1980 - Summer, 1981), pp. 373-392
Published by: Perspectives of New Music

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STEVE REICH: MUSIC AS A
GRADUALPROCESS
PART I
K. Robert
Schwarz
374
It mayappearinappropriate to someformusicology to journeyintothe

of
realm progressive trends in new of
music. Such areas concernhave been
moretraditionally leftto thecomposersand criticsto discuss.Yet too manyof
thesecommentators approachtheirsubjectwithpre-determined biases that
highly color their reporting, and our of
subsequentunderstanding, thetrends
being described.It thereforeseems imperativethatmusicologyassume the
taskofobjectively assembling, chronicling,andanalyzingrecentdevelopments
in new music,so thatscholarsof thenextgenerationwillhavean adequateas
wellas accuratesourcebasiswithwhichto work.Ratherthanwaitingto view
recenttrendsin retrospect, we mightinsteadfunctionfromthe alternative
position attempting explainand cataloguenew developmentsas they
of to
occur. The risksinvolved-those of hastyanalysisand inaccuratejudgment,
caused bytheloss ofhistoricalperspective--are great,butthebenefitsgained
mayproveto faroutweighthedangers.
The young,progressive composers,thosethatdepartmostsignificantly
fromthemainstream, have been theprimevictimsofour reluctanceto apply
to new musicthe same standardsof objectivity and accuracythatwe demand
of historicalscholarlyresearch.Steve Reich,an Americancomposerof so-
called "progressive" inclinations,is a fineexampleof thisphenomenon;his
workhas been undulyneglectedby seriousAmericanresearchers, and con-
sequentlyby scholarlyAmericanjournals.It has fallento the Europeans,
particularly the Britishand the Germans,to writeabout Reich'smusicwith
therespectitdeserves.'One cannothelpbutfeelthathisoutputmeritssimilar
seriousattentionbyAmericans.
Reich'sneglectbyAmericanscholarsis especiallyironic,as he is a rare
exampleof a youngcomposerwho has developeda massivepublicfollowing.
The academicand musicologicalcommunity's silencein thefaceofthispublic
acclaimmakesit appearthatwe considera composerofsuchpopularappealto
be bydefinition a less thanseriousfigure.Perhapswe assumethatsuchmusic
will be facileand unoriginal,thatits composerwill have compromisedhis
idealstogain success.The truth,however,is thata composerneednotworkin
isolation;thereis no reason for us to suppose that Reich's popularityand
commercialsuccessbrandshimas a cultfigureunworthy ofour attention.
Composerssuch as SteveReich,PhilipGlass, TerryRiley,and others,
are the antithesisof a personality like MiltonBabbitt,who wrotethat"the
composer would do himself and his musican immediateand eventualservice
and
bytotal,resolute, voluntary withdrawal fromthispublicworldintoone of
privateperformance and electronicmedia, with its veryreal possibilityof
completeelimination of thepublicand socialaspectsofcomposition."2 Reich,
on theotherhand,refusesto alienatehimselffromthepublic.His worksvery
consciouslybelongto thedomainof thepeople.Reichhas said:
375
I believethatmusicdoes not existin a vacuum.One modeof

feedbackI relyon mostis thepopular,naivereaction.... A critic
is oftenpoliticallybiased, for or againsta composer...so the
public'sreactioncan be a betterweathervane of themusic'sbasic
health.... My work,and thatofGlass andRiley,comesas a breath
of freshair to thenew musicworld... . This basic feelingis very
healthy.It's a feelingof moving.backawayfroma reconditeand
isolatedposition,towarda moremainstream approach."3
Withoutpanderingto populartaste,Reich has moldeda styleof personal

His gradual,methodicalprocessof stylechangehas led him,in a
integrity.
briefsixteenyears,to forgea musicallanguageuniquelyhis own out of the
impersonalminimalismof the mid-1960's.Reich's music is worthyof our
closestexamination, and it is just such a studythatwillbe attempted here.
Thereis an immenseamountofprimary andsecondary sourcematerial
concerningReich at the researcher'sdisposal. Much of Reich's music is
recordedon widelydistributed major recordlabels,4and recentlyUniversal
Editionhas releasedthefirstcommercially ofhis works.5
availablepublications
In addition,the researcherrapidlyfindshim or herselfdelugedbya massive
numberofessays,articlesrecordnotes,andinterviews writtenbyor conducted
with the composer.Few youngcomposershave writtenso copiouslyand
cogentlyconcerningtheirown music as has Reich. At each step of his
compositionaldevelopment,Reich has made a conscious effortto explain
variousaspectsof his creativeprocessesin a mannerthatwillbridgethegap
betweenthe composer/creator and the listeningpublic.His admirablelittle
volumeof collectedessays,WritingsAbout Music (1974), illustratesthese
desires;in thisbook,he succeedsin describinghis own musicwitha clarity
and honestythat mirrorsthe structurally lucid aesthetiche favorsin his
compositions.
Yet aside fromthe materialthatReichhimselfhas created,verylittle
otherseriousworkconcerninghis musichas appearedin Americanjournals.
The generalpresscoverageof Reich'smusic,howeverextensive,has forthe
mostpartconsistedof concertor recordreviews,frequently uninformed and
thereforeoftenunhelpfulto the scholarlyresearcher.6This studyaims to fill
traits,hislife,works,
theobviousgap: it willattemptto surveyReich'sstylistic
and achievements, forour time.
and his significance
SteveReichis an exampleofwhattherecording industry describesas a
"crossoverphenomenon":his music addressesthe tastesof jazz, rock,tradi-
tionalClassical,as well as new music audiences.He was not onlythe first
living"serious"composerto sell out CarnegieHall in a programdevoted
exclusivelyto his own works(Feb. 19, 1980), but also the first"serious"
376
composerto sell out the New York rock/jazznightclub,The BottomLine.

Between1971 and 1980, SteveReichandMusicians(thecomposer'srepertory
ensemble)gave elevenEuropeanand Americanconcerttours,a totalof more
thantwohundredconcertsof Reich'smusic.7
What sortof music is this thatbreedssuch public acclaim?Reich's
output has alternatelybeen described,by criticsand listenersof various
persuasionsand biases,as minimalistic music,hypnoticmusic,trancemusic,
pulse music, and phase music. Though Reich has in the past rejectedthe
applicationof the label "minimalism" to his own music,8thetermcan viably
be appliedto aesthetic,at least throughthe worksof 1971. Minimalism,
whetherin art, music, or theatre,is an aestheticwhich deliberatelyand
severelyrestrictsthe materialsand resourcesthat the artist,composer,or
dramatistemploysin his conceptions.It is an art which focuseson small
detailsof structure or concept,and thenmagnifiestheseto formthe basisof
an entire work. As Reich has said, "By restrictingoneself to a single,
uninterrupted process,one's attentioncan become focusedon details that
usuallyslip by."' The resultantartis one in whichcontrastand change,and
even theprogression of timeitself,can onlybe appreciatedat a muchslower
ratethanthatto whichwe arenormally accustomed.Forthesakeofattempting
to makesomestylistic generalizationsaboutthemusicofReich,we willaccept
thelabelof "minimalism" forhis work,but withone important qualification:
mostof thefollowing generalizations
concerning minimalism, whileapplicable
to Reich,are onlyviablein relationto the music he composedup to 1971.
Since then,as will be repeatedlyunderscoredhere,Reich has turnedaway
fromthe severelyaustereminimalistaesthetic,in favorof a new richnessof
contentand texture,a beautyof sound,and a looseningof structure.
ManyaspectsofReich'searlyminimalist periodcan be viewedas direct
rebellionsagainstthevariousfactionsofthepost-war avant-garde,as reactions
againstserialism, free atonality,and aleatory. Reich desired an immediate
clarityofstructure, he
and therefore employed musical/compositionalprocesses
thatpreciselygovernedthe entirecourseof a composition.Justas the ultra-
rationalityand totalcontrolof post-warserialismled to a Cageian reaction
involvingimprovisation, chance,and formlessness, so Reichhas rejectedthe
lackofcomposer-organized structurein aleatoricmusicin favorofscoresthat
are meticulouslyworkedout in advance,down to the smallestdetail. For
Reich,theintricaciesof serialismwereunappealing,as theyinvolvednothing
morethanconvoluted,hiddenstructural deviceswhichwererarelyapparent
to anyonebeyondthe composer and his privilegedcircle. Reich's aesthetic
requiredthatthestructural processbe clearlyperceivedbythelistener:
377
JohnCage has used processesand has certainlyacceptedtheir

results,but the processeshe used werecompositionalones that
couldnotbe heardwhenthepiecewas performed. The processof
usingthe I or
Ching imperfections in a sheetofpapertodetermine
musicalparameters can't be heardwhenlisteningto musiccom-
posed that way. The compositionalprocess and the sounding
musichave no audibleconnection.Similarlyin serialmusic,the
series itselfis seldom audible.... What I'm interestedin is a
compositionalprocessand a soundingmusic thatare one in the
samething.10
The above quotationcomes fromone of Reich's most importantessays,

"Music as a Gradual Process" (1968). The essay,as well as Reich'schosen
processof "phasing,"will be discussedin fulllaterin thisarticle.For now,
sufficeit to saythatthisprimacyofstructure, apparentto someextentin all of
is
Reich'smusic, theaspect of his workthat most givesin an intellectually
and
analytically challengingcharacter.In Reich,structure cannotbe a framework
whichsupportsan unrelatedfacadeof sounds; rather,sound and structure
mustbe identical.
An additionalaspectof theminimalist rebellionagainstthe"establish-
mentavant-garde" is exemplified byReich'sembracingof an exclusivetonal
and/ormodal(and chiefly consonant)harmonicvocabulary.Yet Reich's"new
tonality", as it has been called," is much different fromtraditional tonality.
The tonal/modalgamutof a Reich workis establishedat the outset,most
typicallybytheinsistentrepetition of a briefrhythmic/melodic patternwhich,
while tonal, may or may not be linked to an explicitlystatedharmonic
structure.In Reich, tonalityis thereforeonly assertedby repetition, as is
Stravinsky's tonality,whichis a primeinfluenceon the youngercomposer.
There are no dominant/tonic polarities,no hierarchy of harmonieswithina
key;onlyinfrequently does one find functional chord progrerssion,and even
theseare rarelythemotivating in
force theparticularwork.12Neitheris there
such a conceptas modulation:whenReich wishesto shifttonalcentersin a
work,he does so abruptly, bymerelyjustaposingthenewtonality alongsidethe
old one. Yet thismethodimpliesno functional relationshipsbetween thetwo
tonalitiesinvolved,nor do any functionalpolaritiesexist withineitherof
them.
Along withthisnew employment of tonalitycomes Reich'sbeliefin a
repeated,steady,drivingpulse. The composerhimselfprophetically predicted
in 1970: "The pulse and the conceptof clear tonalcenterwill re-emerge as
basic sources of new music."'3 The rhythmic animationof Reich's music
378
providesan urgency, an accessibility, anda unifying forcethatalwayscontinues

unabatedthroughout a composition.Most importantly, Reich'sembracingof
steadypulse introduces an entirely new element into contemporary "serious"
music,14 an elementthatcan be viewedas a reactionagainstthedissolutionof
regularmetricalrhythm thatwas so typicalof thepost-waravant-garde. Reich
considersa clearrhythmic pulse to be one ofthe prime elementalforces shared
by all worldmusics-whetherAfrican,Indonesian,Indian,jazz, or Western
he feelsit is an essentialelementof his musicalstyle.
Baroque--and
Otheraspectsof Reich'scompositionalstyleare inherentin the term
"minimalism". Reichseverelylimitshis musicalmaterialbythe relianceon a
singledynamic,textural,timbral,harmonic,melodic,or rhythmic level for
sectionsor entireworks(thoughthisobservation is ofteninvalidafter1971).
A singleset of musicalparametersare establishedat the outsetof a piece
whicheitherremainunvariedforthelengthofthecomposition, or are altered
onlyin a verygradualand subtlemanner.In thisway,thepremiseofthework
is clearlyapparentat theopening,and thustheelementofconflictor dualism
is rejected.Clearlyrelatedto boththelimitation ofmeansand lackofcontrast
is Reich'suse ofrepetition. Coupled with unvarying rhythmic pulse,repetition
satisfiesthe minimalistideal of forcingthe mindinwardon smallstructural
details,whilesimultaneously becomingtheprimeunifying force.
Such repetition,however,also has a ratherunusual effecton the
listener'scomprehension of the passageof time.Our experienceof musicas
sound in time is highlysubjectiveand thereforedifficultto discuss at all
precisely;in addition,the elementof alterationof consciousness(so clearly
impliedby any change in our perceptionof time) is awkwardto deal with
objectively.Reich himselfstronglydenies that his music aims to create a
trance-like changein consciousnesson the partof the listener:"There's no
intenton mypartto createanything likea trance.A lullingintounconscious-
nesswouldbe theworstpossibleresult.WhatI hopemymusicsummonsup in
moreattentionto detail...". "" WhilenotdisagreeingwithReich'sstatement,
one couldarguethatthelengthy contemplation ofsmalldetailsis in itselfboth
consciousness-altering as well as time Despitetheconstantpulse,a
distorting.
sense of a lack of awarenessof the passage of timeis experiencedby many
listenersto Reich's music. How paradoxicalit is that "this music, which
proceedsso tonallypleasantly, obstructsthe"tonal"understanding oftime."'16
Relatedto Reich's desireforan immediateclarityof structureis his
dislikeof anythingimprovisational, which could serve only to conceal the
basic framework. Reichdemandsthe subjectionof the freeexpressionof the
individualperformer to the commongoal of groupexpression.His musical
structures,or "processes"as he refersto them,are rigorouslyplannedin
advance.Though some elementsof performer choiceenterintothesescores,
379
mostarecarefully determined in rehearsal,so theperformance ofa givenpiece

is as controlledandpreciseas clockwork. The onlyspontaneouselementadded
duringtheperformance situationinvolvesthedecisionofhowmanyrepetitions
therewill be of a given musicalsection.In Reich's recentworkseven this
parameteris determinedin advance,but in earliercompositions(such as
Drumming,1971) thenumberof repeatswas decidedin performance via an
elaboratesystemof visual cueing which had the additionaladvantageof
forcingthe membersof his ensembleto relyon each other for musical
direction, therebyenhancingtheclose-knit feelingof thegroup.
Closelyconnected to the subjugationof individualexpressionand the
distrust ofimprovisation is thequestionoftheimpersonality andobjectivity of
Reich'smusicalprocesses.Reichclearlystatedin hisesayof 1968, "Musicis a
Gradual Process:" "Though I mayhave the pleasureof discoveringmusical
processesand composingthemusicalmaterialto runthroughthem,once the
processis set up and loadedit runsbyitself."'7Combinedwiththe factthat
Reich'smusicalideasareless uniquelypersonalstatements thanmanifestations
of conceptswhichare commonmusicalproperty, his music has as a result
oftenbeen brandedas lacking"inspiration", "imagination",and "expression."
We mustagain forceourselvesto set aside the nineteenth-century credoof
originality beingthe primeessentialin composition,and realizethatmuch
Westernmusic,fromthecantusfirmusandparodymassesoftheRenaissance
throughthe Baroque and Classicaleras,has not alwaysplacedoriginality as
the foremostgoal of composition.Rather,whatwas done withthe idea was
important:thegerminalcell itselfmayhave been commonproperty, but the
"inventio"of the the workborethe composer'sunique stylistic seal. Such is
thecase withReich; it is onlyin theworkingout of themusicalprocessthat
thecomposer'spersonalstatement becomesevident.However,themechanical
efficiency of Reich'sperforming ensemble tendsto lend credenceto charges
thatthe composer'smusicalprocessesare inexpressive and impersonal.One
couldtherefore saythatit is lessthemusicalcontentitselfthantheperformance
situationdemandedby the music which is impersonal;this observationis
bolsteredbyReich'sown statements concerningthenatureof his ensemble's
performances:
The attentionthatmechanicalplayingasksforis somethingwe

coulddo withmoreof,and the"humanexpressiveactivity" which
is assumedto be innatelyhumanis whatwe coulddo withless of
rightnow. That tiesin withnon-Western music-Africandrum-
mingor theBalinesegamelan-which also have an impersonality
to themas theparticipantsaccepta givensituationand add their
individualcontributions
in thedetailsof theworking-out.'8
380
This bringsus to theimportant questionof non-Western influencein

themusicof Reich.Reichhas beenprofoundly affected byhis studiesof non-
Westerntechniquesand structures, and has undergonevast changesin his
personalstyleas a result.Reich's trainingin Africandrumming(Ghana,
1970), Balinesegamelan(SeattleandBerkeley,1973-4),andHebrewscriptural
cantillation(New York and Jerusalem,1976-7) has contributed not onlyto
alterationsin his musicalaestheticduringthelasttenyears,butalso to his use
ofnewconstructive procedures.For Reichbelievesnotin imitating thesound
of non-Western musics("WhatI don'twantto do is to go and buya bunchof
exotic-looking drumsand setup an Afrikanische Musikin New YorkCity."19),
butratherin learningthestructural principleswhichgoverntheconstruction
of foreignmusics,and applyingtheseto one's ownpersonalstyle.A myriadof
Reich's stylistictraitsmay eitherbe derivedfromor encouragedby non-
Westerninfluences;these include his polyrhythmic structures,constant
repetition,drivingpulse, use of tonality/modality, absence of modulation,
slownessof rateof changeand lack of dualism,and penchantforrigorously
workedout non-improvisatory structures. All oftheseaspectsofnon-Western
influencein Reich's stylewill be discussedmorefullyin the analysisof his
1971 workDrumming(q.v.), along withthemorecomplexquestionof how
the composerchose to emulatenon-Western structural principleswithinhis
own music.
Popularmusic,expecially jazz, has also influenced Reich.Reichidolized
Miles Davis and CharlieParkerin his youth,and was a jazz drummerhimself;
laterhe becameenamoredof JohnColtraneand his remarkable expansionof
simpletwo-chordstructures. concentration percussion(stemmingnot
A on
only frompopularinfluence,but also fromhis own personalinterestas a
drummer as wellas non-Western studies)andhisinclusionofsuchinstruments
as smallelectricorgansand saxophonesbeliepopularinfluence in instrumenta-
tion.In addition,Reich'suse of amplification via individualmicrophones for
each instrument, andhisemployment ofrepetitive rhythms, cleartonality,and
drivingpulse may all be related superficially to his of
knowledge popular
music.
In recentyears,however,Reich has been turningless towardsnon-
Westernandpopularmusicsand moretowardstheWesternClassicalheritage
forinspiration and guidance.Earlyin Reich'scareer,Westerninfluencewas
restrictedto Medievaland Baroquemusic.In 1971, Reichvoicedtheopinion
that,whilehe admiredBach, he feltthatPerotinand theNotreDame School
were "a kindof highpoint"in musichistory.20 PerhapsReich was drawnto
certainaspects of the Perotingeneration'sstylethat, in gross historical
retrospect, seem almostReichian:the repeated,ostinato-like rapidrhythmic
patterns in the upper voices, the drone-like supporting cantus, the static
381
modality, andaboveall thelackofdirectionality andclimax.Fellowminimalist

LaMonteYoungechoesReich'slove formedievalmusicwhenhe says,"I feel
thatin mostmusicpeculiarto the Westernhemispheresince the thirteenth
century,climax and directionality have been among the most important
guidingfactors,whereasmusic beforethattime,fromthe chantsthrough
organumand Machaut,uses stasisas a pointof structure a littlebitmorethe
way certain Eastern musical systems have."21 Reich was also attractedto late
Baroque music's unflagging rhythmic propulsion, thesamereasonhe admired
jazz--and Stravinsky.Indicative ofReich's recent maturation,
stylistic however,
has been his re-studying of the remainderof the Westernheritage.This
renewedinterest in theWesterntradition hasprofoundly affectedthecomposer,
and willbe discussedmorecompletely in relationto threeof Reich'snewest
works,Octet(1978), Musicfor a LargeEnsemble(1978) and Variations for
Winds,Strings,and Keyboards( 1979).
Reich'srelationship to electronicmusichas beenan ambivalent one; he
has swayedbetweenwholeheartedly endorsingthe use of tape devices,as
exemplified bythe speech-basedtape pieces so typicalof theearlieststageof
his career,and to an equallywholehearted rejectionof everylast vestigeof
electronicmeans,as he didin 1969. Not contentmerelyto setasideelectronic
techniqueswithinthe contextof his own music,he vigorously predictedthe
disappearanceof electronicmeanswithinnew musicin general:"Electronic
music as such will graduallydie and be absorbedinto the ongoingmusicof
peoplesingingand playinginstruments,"22 Reichsaidin 1970. More recently
(1977), Reichelaboratedaboutwhyhe disdainsnotonlyelectronicmusic,but
even theuse ofelectronicinstruments withina liveensemble.He statedthat,
in his opinion,the deadnessin characterof electronically generatedsounds
(such as the quality ofelectricorgans) was with
incompatible thenatureofhis
music.Reichfeltthatin compositions suchas his,whichdependon repetition
and steadypulse,thevitality of charactergainedbyusingliveinstrumentally-
produced sounds was absolutely essentialto avoidmonotony oftonequality.23
YetReich'sdecisionto abandonelectronic
meanswasapparently
not
binding.Variations
for Winds,Stringsand Keyboards(1979) againemploys
electricorganswithinthe live ensemble,forthe firsttimesinceMusic for
Mallet Instruments,Voices and Organ of 1973. Even more surprisingly,
Reich'smostrecentlypremiered MyName Is: EnsemblePortrait
composition,
(1980) is a puretapepiece,ofthesamespeech-based
typeas thosethatbegan
his career. Reich's earliestsignificantworks,It ' Gonna Rain (1965) and
Come Out (1966) were tape compositionsutilizingthe verbalmaterialof
humanspeechas theirsubject.MyName Is returnsto similarmethods,as will
be demonstrated at theend of thisarticle.The composeris able to accepthis
earliesttapepieces,as wellas to rationalizehisrecentreturnto tapedevices,by
382
realizingthatin a sense these are not electronicworksat all. They are all
speechpieces,and are thereforebasedentirely on actualvocal sounds,noton
produced
electronically tones.Reich stated recently:
In a nutshell,all thebad thingsI've had to sayaboutelectronic

musichave to do withelectronically generatedsounds,have to do
withoscillator-based music.... I still
use electricorgans,butthey're
alwaysmixedwithinstruments or voices.I haveno suchambiguity
about[using]thevoice.24
Reich'sdistasteforelectronically generatedsounds,combinedwithhislovefor
liveperformance instilledbyinterests in jazz and non-Western music,has led
to his formation of a permanent repertory ensemblededicatedto theperform-
ance of his music. Steve Reich and Musicians, as his performing groupis
called,began in 1966 with three musicians and has grown in numbers over
theyearsdependingon therequirements ofeach new composition;it reached
twenty-seven membersforMusicfora LargeEnsemble(1978). Significantly,
despite his self-acknowledged limitationsas a percussionistand keyboard
player, Reich decided thatin one capacityor anotherhe wouldperform in all
"It
his compositions. seemedclear [to me] that a healthymusical situation
would only result when the functionsof composerand performerwere
united."25 The resulthas been an emotionaland psychological bondbetween
composer and performers that makes the ensemble's concerts into riveting
experiencesforparticipants and listenersalike.
At thisjuncture,it maybe usefulto relaysome biographical material
concerning Steve Reich, along with the tellingevidence of diverse compo-
sitionalinfluences it provides.Reich'sapproachto composition andhis stylistic
maturationhas progressedin gradual,purposefulstepsover thepast sixteen
years;consequently,a combinedrecountingof Reich's life with a detailed
discussionof thecomposer'smajorworkswillbe attempted here.
SteveReichwas bornon October3, 1936 in New York.His youthful
musicaltrainingincludedstudiesin piano and percussion,the latterunder
RolandKoloff,now the principaltympanist of the New YorkPhilharmonic.
By the time Reich was a teenager, lifelongmusicaltasteshad begunto
his
form,revealing a distinctpredeliction formusicwithan unvarying pulseanda
clear tonal center;he was especiallyenamoredof Bach, Stravinsky, Miles
Davis, CharlieParkerand KennyClarke.From 1953 to 1957, Reich was a
studentat CornellUniversity, majoringin philosophy. At Cornell,he enrolled
in severalcoursestaughtbyWilliamAustin,and as a resultwas exposedto a
widervariety of twentieth-century musicand jazz, as wellas beingintroduced
to non-Western musics.To hiscredit,Austinrepeatedly encouragedhisyoung
383
studentto pursuecompositionas a career,a goal Reichevidently desiredbut

also feared,feelinghe was tooold to startstudying
musicon a full-timebasis.26
Aftergraduating fromCornell,Reichbeganprivatecomposition lessons
in New York with Hall Overton,which lasted from 1957-1958. Reich
enrolledat the JuilliardSchool in 1958 as a compositionstudent,studying
withWilliamBergsmaand VincentPerischetti. His earlyJuilliard
workswere
in theconventional freeatonalidiomofthetime.In 1961, ReichleftJuilliard
to studycompositionat Mills College in California,wherehe workedwith
LucianoBerioandDariusMilhaud.Duringhisstudiesofserialtechniquewith
Berio,conflictsarose betweenReich'slove fortonalityand steadyrhythmic
pulseon theone hand,andtheneedto writein theacceptedserialidiomon the
other.Berio saw thatReichdid not transpose,invert,or retrograde his rows,
but thathe merelyrepeatedthemwithrhythmic re-groupings.Says Reich:
"Berio noticedthatI was repeatingthisparticulartwelve-tone rowover and
overand lettingit evolveintoa staticthing,and he said to me one day,'Ifyou
wantto writetonalmusic,whydon'tyouwritetonalmusic?'" Reichcontinues:
That was a veryhelpfulremarkforme, because I saw I was

doingwhatI intuitively wantedto do. As a child,I'd listenedto a
lotofpop music,and in myteensto a lotofjazz - ... musicthatI
foundextremely attractive
butwhichwas obviouslyand unabash-
edlytonal.. . .I remember, when I firstwentto Juilliard,feelinga
distinctpull betweenthe kindof musicofferedme as a model-
atonal,whethertwelve-tone or freelyatonal--andon the other
hand,musicof let'ssayJohnColtrane,musicessentially builtup
of one or two chords.What movedme emotionallywas always
musicbuiltaroundone tonalcenter.27
Twelve-tonetechniquehad taughtReich to respecta "systematic, rigorous

approachto composition",28 but when Reich graduatedfromMills College
withhis Master'sdegreein 1963, he finally
knewhis skilllayin writing
music
witha cleartonalcenter.
Reich'scareeras a composerbeganin San Franciscoin 1963. His early
compositions includedseveralfilmsoundtracks forfilmmaker RobertNelson
(The PlasticHaircutand Oh Dem Watermelons), a workfora production of
the San FranciscoMime Troupe(Ubu Roi), and tapepiecesperformed at the
San FranciscoTape Music Center.The latter,all based on sounds of the
outsideworldratherthanon electronically sunthesizedmaterialscreatedin
the studio,indludea collage-liketape workcalledLivelihood,whichutilized
streetandpassengernoisesrecordedwhileReichwas drivinga taxicabaround
San Francisco.29
384
Reich'sfirsttwoimportant workswerebothtapepieces,It's Gonna

Rain(1965) andComeOut(1966). Bothwerebasedsolelyonrecorded verbal
material,inIt'sGonnaRainthevoiceofa Blackstreet preacher warningofthe
dangersoftheimpending Flood,in ComeOutthevoiceofa Harlemghetto
boy.Earlyin 1965, Reichdiscovered that,bymakingtapeloopsof these
alreadyremarkably melodious voices,he couldbothheighten the musical
qualityofthespeech,as wellas intensifyingthemeaning ofthewords.This
wasmanifested insound,ofcourse,as incessant
repetition.Itwasno accident
thatReichcametoemploy thetechnique ofconstantrepetition;
thoughhehad
already been with
working tapeloops,thefinalimpetusresulted fromthe
assistanceheprovidedTerry Rileyinthelatter's
premiereofIn C (1964).In C
is certainly
nota Reichianwork,duetoitsuseofunstructured improvisatory
elements andperformer choice,butitsemployment ofa constantunvarying
pulse,itsprolongedrhythmic/melodic anditsstatictonality
repetitions, must
allsurelyhaveimpressed Reich.ButReich'sproblem wastofindhisownway
of approaching as a musicaltechnique,
repetition without merelyimitating
Riley'sbreakthrough.Reich'srevelation
occurredas follows:
I discoveredthatthemostinteresting musicofallwasmadeby
simply liningtheloopsupinunison,andletting themslowly shift
outofphasewitheachother.As I listened to thisgradualphase
shifting process,I beganto realizethatit was an extraordinary
formof musicalstructure. This processstruckme as a wayof
goingthrough a number of relationships
between twoidentities
without everhavinganytransitions.Itwasa seamless,continuous,
uninterrupted musicalprocess.30
Reichhad stumbled acrossthetechniqueof"phasing",theparticular

musicalprocessthatwas to holdhis attentionto suchan extentthatevery
composition written
between1965 and 1971 (exceptFour Organs,1970)
employs thephasingtechnique inonewayoranother. Inphasing,
twoormore
identicalmelodicand/orrhythmic patterns
verygradually changein their
rhythmic to
relationships one another
duringthecourseofthework.Even-
as theprocessprogresses,
tually, newpatterns
evolveoftheirownaccord.
In It'sGonnaRain,completed January1965 andbasedentirelyon the
wordsoftheblackstreet preacher,Brother the
Walter, phasing processisfirst
The
applied. preacher's unusually almost
expressive, melodicenunciationof
thetitlephrasein itselfresemblesthemusicallineofExample1. Beginningin
unison,twotapeloops of thissame verbalmaterialeventuallymoveone beat
apart,thentwo,and so on as theygraduallygo "outofsynch"witheach other.
As the process of phasingprogresses,new and unexpectedpolyrhythmic
configurations,
resulting harmoniccombinations,and melodicpatterns
evolve,
385
since the two channelsof tape constantlychange theirrelationshipto one

another.
It's Gonna Rain is two parts,the firsttakingthe titlephrasefroma
unison synchronization of two channelsthrougha completeshiftof phase,
and then back to the original unison again. Part Two is made from a
considerablylonger tape loop, which begins with two unison channels
pronouncing a continuationofthetitlephrase.But in PartTwo,Reichdivides
the channelsinto four and finallyeight voices as the phase shifts.These
multiplelines,all movingin and out of phase withone another,producea
dizzyingcombinationof new resultingharmonic,melodic and rhythmic
patternsfarmorecomplexthanthoseof PartOne, as well as heightening the
alreadypresentspeechelements.By the end of the workwe are, in essence,
listeningto a kaleidoscopic,subtlyshiftingdroneof sound.
Reich'snextwork,Come Out (1966) is essentially a refinementof the
samephasingprocessemployedinIt 's GonnaRain.Composedfora TownHall
benefitgivento helpsix boysarrestedin the 1964 Harlemriotsgain a retrial,
it is based upon theinherently musicalvice of Donald Hamm,one of the six
involved.As in the case of BrotherWalter,Hamm's pronunciation of the
phrase "come out to show them" alreadycontainswithinit a distinctive
rhythmic/melodic profile(See Example2).
Come Out is similarin conceptionto It 's GonnaRain,beginningwith
two unison channelsbut soon allowingone of the partsto phase forward.
Later,as thephasingprocessprogresses,Reichdividesthetwochannelsinto
fourand finallyeightvoices,all phasingagainstone another.The myriadof
resultingharmonic,melodic,and polyrhythmic combinations, mostlyunfore-
seenbythecomposer,demonstrates thatthemusicalprocessofphasing,once
set into motion,progressesentirelyon its own. "The experienceof that
musicalprocessis,aboveall else,impersonal; itjustgoesits[own]way... . Once
the processhas been set up it inexorably worksitselfout."31Come Out has
beenlikenedbysomecriticsto the"auralequivalentofop art."32Justas in op
artour eyesperceivevisualillusionswhichare not presentin reality,such as
reversingcubes, three-dimensional effects,and perspectiveshifts,so too in
Come Out our earspsycho-acoustically fixateuponvarioustransitory patterns
whichariseout of the phasingprocess.It is the presenceof thesedazzling,
constantly figuresthatmakestheearlytapepiecesinteresting
shifting to hear
over and over again. Reich calls these "resultingpatterns",and theyare of
greatsignificance forhis latercompositional development.
In 1966, Reich composedthe last of his earlytape pieces, entitled
Melodica. It uses thesamephasingprocessas Come Out, buthere,insteadof
phasing verbal elements,musical pitchesare employed.Named afterthe
plastictoyrecorderon whichthepitcheswereplayed,Melodica,accordingto
386
Reich, at the time "feltlike a transitionfromtape music to instrumental

music."" Yet,in 1966, thecomposerhad reachedwhatmusthave seemedto
him an impasse:how could he transfer the electronically
discoveredphasing
processto live musicians?
Nineteensixty-six was a verydepressingyear.I began to feel

likea mad scientisttrappedin a lab: I had discoveredthephasing
processof Come Out and didn'twantto turnmybackon it,yetI
didn'tknow how to do it live, and I was aching to do some
instrumental34
The solutionto theproblemcame latein 1966. Reichmadea tapeloop

of a brief,repetitivepianopattern,and thenattempted to playthesamefigure
on thekeyboardagainstthe tape loop. Justas he had done in Come Out, he
triedto phase graduallyahead of the constantunvaryingloop pattern--yet
here,the challengewas to see if a lifeperformer could accmpplishwhathad
been so easyto do electronically."I foundto mysurprise,thatwhileI lacked
the perfectionof the machine,I could give a fairapproximation of it [the
phasing process] while enjoyinga new and extremelysatisfyingway of
playing.. .."I3
The obvious next step was to see if the phasingprocesscould be
accomplishedwithoutanyelectronicmeanswhatsoever.Earlyin 1967, Reich
and a friend, sittingat twodifferent
pianos,attempted to duplicatethephasing
process: one performer remainedon a fixedrhythmic patternwhiletheother
performer graduallyphasedforwards, one beat at a time. The resultwas the
firstlivephasecomposition, Piano Phase (1967).36 In thiswork(Example3),
twoperformers beginin unisonplayingtheidenticalrhythmic/melodic pattern.
As thefirstperformer's remains
pattern unvarying, the second increases
pianist
his tempoveryslightly(thisgradualphasingprocessis indicatedin Reich's
scoresbydottedlinesbetweenmeasures)untilhe is finallyone sixteenth note
aheadof theunchangedfigureofthefirstpianist.The phasingprocesspauses
at thispoint,as the newlyshiftedrhythmic configuration is repeatedseveral
times.Soon, however,the secondpianistagain movesslowlyforwardof the
first,finallyendingtwo sixteenthnotes ahead of the originalpattern.This
sequenceofgradualphaseshiftandrepetition is repeateduntilthetwopianists
are backin unison;at thisjuncturethepatternchangesand thewholeprocess
beginsanew.
Finallysuccessfulin his transference of phasingto live music,Reich
began to see his earliertape pieces in a differentlight.He realizedthatthey
wereindicativeof a trendthatwas to occur severaltimesin his career-the
387
exchangeof ideas fromelectronicmusic to live performance. Reich now

viewedIt 's Gonna Rain, Come Out, and Melodica as "realizationsof an idea
thatwas indigenousto machines,and on theotherhand,thegatewayto some
instrumental music I would neverhave come to by listeningto any other
Western, or forthatmatter,non-Western music."37This cross-fertilizationof
instrumentalmusic by ideas generatedin the electronicstudio becomes
apparentonce morein Reich'sFour Organs(q.v.) of 1970.
Reich'snextlive phase composition,ViolinPhase, was completedin
October1967. Scoredforfourviolins,or one liveviolinplusthreechannelsof
tapedviolin,ViolinPhase adds twonew refinements to thephasingprocess:
four
firstly, voices rather than two are now phasing againsteach other;
secondly, Reich now begins to make conscious use of theentirelyunexpected
"resulting patterns"thatariseout of thephasingprocedure.In themannerin
which Violin Phase is most frequently performed, the live violinistplays
againstone, two, and finally three pre-recorded tapesof himself.The same
twelve-beat rhythmic/melodic figure is recorded on all threetape channels,
butin different phasepositions(i.e., thesamepatternbutwiththreedifferent
downbeats):Track One is fourbeatsbehindTrackTwo, whileTrackTwo is
eightbeatsbehindTrackThree.Besidesthedifferent stationaryphasepositions
ofthetape,theperformer himselfcarriesout a livephasingprocessbyplaying
the same figureas thatof the tapes,but movingslowlyahead of the various
channels.
Most significant in ViolinPhase is Reich'sconsciousemployment of
the unexpectedresultingpatterns.These figures,unforeseenpolyrhythmic,
melodic,and harmoniccombinations thatoccuras a resultofidenticalmaterial
are
beingphasedagainstitself, constantly in a stateof flux.In twosectionsof
the piece the live violinistmomentarily doubles some of the pre-existing
resultingpatternsthathave arisendue to the phasingprocessprogressing in
thethreetapedchannels.Severalofthedoubledpatterns areactuallysuggested
bythecomposer,whileothersare chosenbytheperformer in rehearsal.The
scoreitself(see Example4) is notatedin such a waythatthethreetapetracks,
besidesbeing indicatedon separatestaves,are also writtenon one staffin
compositeform;the latterversionallowsthe live violinistto see the various
possibleresultingpatternsmoreclearly.The liveviolinist's processof"pointing
out" the resultingpatternsguidesthelistener'sperceptionsand opensup the
listener'sears to melodiccombinationshe or she may not have heard: the
effectis almostthatof bringinga transitory aural illusioninto the realmof
reality.
Example1. SteveReich,It's GonnaRain(1965).
Approximate oftitlephraseoftape.
transcription
r+-s
,>-, ,
Example2. SteveReich,ComeOut(1966).
Approximate oftitlephraseoftape.
transcription
Comeoat to showthem)
1
hose Pp
"J. 2.
II i
'7H . ........
pf"01
.... W-2 n ....
=
-WFf tti
'iA f# t 4Oi ad4r eccooa
4-t
-
" "A 0
P'am"Sc ja Ks k T~qH a4 u .
2( wC~q 4f Itckves
c kts +Cf al
W d Ie -first
uto0' Ad( (s&7 i" Ac-70 M&Ovl?)Ae 14 &w sief-aA X?? 04-.4A u 1. ' r4edO (00
Jf
iz?081(1 w -trFa
jit~t4is Ik4wt(MowoV .c 5ec I*C? dA4 -tV
k Ad tof eme 4&4t4 5C f OA4* ffrrl
-ft ? C"
Example3. SteveReich,PianoPhase(1967), mm.1-3.

Copyright1967 bySteveReich.
Used bypermission.
!I ANN
I+-,"
i
v~otil
r7in .. IL. ,, ? [
I
IIi i IIip ii _.ml _i . i
iio%."3
99
8
4k
--4L
Y 44?J5
r2r43 r oJG a8
Nt*ii
dL(3Spike4Pet
is~~
-f to &oI
?sfd tioi1
-VI" 4q. - 5"4L
SL d
mdPr4 '.
m. 16.
Example4. SteveReich,ViolinPhase(1967),
Copyright1967 bySteveReich.
Usedbypermission.
NOTES
'A representativesamplingof some of the moreimportant Europeanarticles

concerningReich'smusicwouldincludethefollowing: ClytusGottwald,"Signale
zwischenExotikund Industie:Steve Reich auf der Suche nach einerneuen
Identitit
vonKlangeundStruktur", Melos/NeueZeitschriftfir Musik,(January-
February 1975), pp. 3-6; ClytusGottwald,"TendenzenderneuenMusikin den
USA: Gy6gyLigetiim GesprachmitClytusGottwald", MusikundBildung,VIII
(February1976),pp.57-61; Michael
Nyman, Steve Reich:
InterviewwithMichael
Nyman", Musical Times, CXII (March 1971), pp. 229-231';MichaelNyman,
"Steve Reich: InterviewwithMichael Nynam",Music and Musicians,XXV
(January1977), pp. 18-19; Michael Nyman,"SR--Mysteriesof the Phase",
MusicandMusicians,XX (February 1972),pp. 20-21.
Composerson
MiltonBabbitt,"Who CaresifyouListen?",in Contemporary
2
andBarneyChilds(New Yoirk,1967),
Music,ed. ElliottSchwartz
Contemporary
p. 249.
"TraditionReseen:ComposerSteveReich",Christian
3David Sterritt, Science
Monitor,23 October1980,p. 20.
is a briefdiscography
4 The following ofrecordingsofReich'smusicavailablein
America,herelistedchronologically accordingto dateof release:Come Out,in
New Soundsin Electronic Music,Odyssey,32-16-0160,1967; It's GonnaRain
and ViolinPhase,inLive/Electric,
withPaulZukofsky forViolinPhase,Columbia
MS-7265, 1969,since deleted;FourOrgans,with Michael TilsonThomas,Ralph
Gierson.RogerKellaway,Steve Reich,Tom Raney,Angel, S-36059, 1973;
Drumming, MusicforMalletInstruments, Voicesand Organ,Six Pianos,with
Steve Reich and Musicians,DeutscheGrammophon Gesellschaft,2740-106,
1974; Musicfor EighteenMusicians,withSteveReichand Musicians,ECM
Records,ECM-1-1129,1978; Octet,Musicfora LargeEnsemble,ViolinPhase,
Shem Guibboryfor ViolinPhase, SteveReich and Musicians,ECM Records,
ECM-1-1168,1980.
'UniversalEditionpublishedthe followingReich worksin 1980, here listed

bydateof composition:
chronologically Piano Phase (1967), UE 16156; Violin
Phase (1967), UE 16185, PendulumMusic (1968), UE 16155; Four Organs
(1970), UE 16183; PhasePatterns(1970), UE 16184); ClappingMusic (1972),
UE 16182; MusicforPiecesof Wood(1973), UE 16219.
6
Occasionally, one willstumbleacrossa finearticledealingwithReichin the
mass media; a selectedfew are listedhere chronologically:Donal Henahan,
"Reich?Philharmonic? The New YorkTimes,24 October1971,
Paradiddling?",
"SteveReich",Downbeat,11 August1977,pp.
sec. 2, pp. 13-14;KennethTerry,
38-40; NicolasKenyon,"SpacedOut", The New Yorker,10 March 1980, pp.
124-127;Gregory Sandow,"SteveReich:Something New",The VillageVoice,
10 March1980,p. 74; JoanLaBarbara, "ThreebyReich",HighFidelity/Musical
America,June1980,pp.MA 12-13.
391
materialkindlyprovidedby Reich'smanagement,
7 Accordingto promotional
ofNew York.
LynnGaronManagement
8 In a letterto Eric Salzman,he chose to characterize
his music as being
ratherthan"minimal".
"structural",
9 SteveReich,JacketNotes,Come Out, in New Soundsin Electronic

Music,
Odyssey,32-16-0160,1967.
AboutMusic(Halifax,N.S. andNewYork,1974),p. 10.

10SteveReich,Writings
11Tom The VillageVoice,16 October1978,pp.
"The New Tonality",
Johnson,
115-116.
12
would be the chaconne-based
An exceptionto this statement composition,
for Winds,StringsandKeyboards
Variations ( 1979, q.v.)
13 Reich, p. 28.
"pulse"intocontemporary
also playeda roleinre-introducing
14 Othercomposers
musicas an important parameter; TerryRiley'sIn C (1964) was an especially

seminalworkin thisrespect.
"'Sterritt,
p.21
16
Gottwald, p. 6.
"SignalezwischenExotikundIndustrie",
17 Reich,p. 9.
18 Nyman,"Reich:Interview"
(1971), p. 230.
19Nyman,p. 230.
20 Henahan,sec. 2, p. 13.
21
The TheatreofMixedMeans(New York,1968),p. 188.
RichardKostelanetz,
withLaMonteYoung,conducted
A usefulinterview byKostelanetz, in
is included
pp. 183-218ofthisbook.
22
Reich,p. 28.
23 Terry,p. 39.
withthe composer,conductedby the authoron

Froma personalinterview
24
2, 1981.
January
25 Reich,p. 45.
392
26
Thisentire
biographical
summary ofReich's career
early isbaseduponmaterial
in WayneAlpern,"An Interview withSteveReich",
New YorkArtsJournal,
XVII(January1980),p. 15;"Interview:
SteveReich:,
EAMAccents (European-
AmericanMusicCorporation), Spring-Summer1980,p. 5; Terry,
pp. 38-39;
material
promotional provided byLynnGaronManagement.
27 sec.2,p. 14.
Henahan,
28 "Interview:
Steve EAMAccents,
Reich," p. 6.
Catherine
29
O'Neill,"A Modern
Composer RidetheAges",The
WhoseRhythms
Chronical
Review,13 November1978,p. 21.
30 Reich,
p. 50.
31
p. 50.
Reich,
32
Myron "Musicas Furniture",
Bennett, HighFidelity, 1972,p. 64.
February
33 p.51.
Reich,
34 "Reich:Interview"
Nyman, (1971),p. 230.
35 p.51.
Reich,
Fora description
36 oftheorigin ofPianoPhase,seeReich,pp.51-
andstructure
52.
p. 53.
37 Reich,
[To Be Continued]

Music As A Gradual Process-Reich

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Steve Reich: Music as a Gradual Process: Part I

Author(s): K. Robert Schwarz

Published by: Perspectives of New Music

It mayappearinappropriate to someformusicology to journeyintothe

I believethatmusicdoes not existin a vacuum.One modeof

Withoutpanderingto populartaste,Reich has moldeda styleof personal

composerto sell out the New York rock/jazznightclub,The BottomLine.

JohnCage has used processesand has certainlyacceptedtheir

The above quotationcomes fromone of Reich's most importantessays,

providesan urgency, an accessibility, anda unifying forcethatalwayscontinues

mostarecarefully determined in rehearsal,so theperformance ofa givenpiece

The attentionthatmechanicalplayingasksforis somethingwe

This bringsus to theimportant questionof non-Western influencein

modality, andaboveall thelackofdirectionality andclimax.Fellowminimalist

In a nutshell,all thebad thingsI've had to sayaboutelectronic

studentto pursuecompositionas a career,a goal Reichevidently desiredbut

That was a veryhelpfulremarkforme, because I saw I was

Twelve-tonetechniquehad taughtReich to respecta "systematic, rigorous

Reich'sfirsttwoimportant workswerebothtapepieces,It's Gonna

Reichhad stumbled acrossthetechniqueof"phasing",theparticular

since the two channelsof tape constantlychange theirrelationshipto one

Reich, at the time "feltlike a transitionfromtape music to instrumental

Nineteensixty-six was a verydepressingyear.I began to feel

The solutionto theproblemcame latein 1966. Reichmadea tapeloop

exchangeof ideas fromelectronicmusic to live performance. Reich now

Example3. SteveReich,PianoPhase(1967), mm.1-3.

'A representativesamplingof some of the moreimportant Europeanarticles

'UniversalEditionpublishedthe followingReich worksin 1980, here listed

9 SteveReich,JacketNotes,Come Out, in New Soundsin Electronic

AboutMusic(Halifax,N.S. andNewYork,1974),p. 10.

musicas an important parameter; TerryRiley'sIn C (1964) was an especially

withthe composer,conductedby the authoron

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