So Percussion performs Reich's "Mallet Quartet"

Mallet Quartet (2009) is scored for two vibraphones and two five octave marimbas. I had never written for five octave marimbas extending down to cello C. On the one hand I was delighted to have the possibility of a low bass and on the other hand apprehensive since just slightly too hard a mallet that low can produce noise instead of pitch. Eventually, after a bit of experimentation, this was well worked out.

The piece is in three movements, fast, slow, fast. In the two outer fast movements the marimbas set the harmonic background which remains rather static compared to recent pieces of mine like Double Sextet (2007). The marimbas interlock in canon, also a procedure I have used in many other works. The vibes present the melodic material first solo and then in canon. However, in the central slow movement the texture changes into a thinner more transparent one with very spare use of notes, particularly in the marimbas. I was originally concerned this movement might just be 'too thin', but I think it ends up being the most striking, and certainly the least expected, of the piece.

Mallet Quartet is about 15 minutes in duration. It was co-commissioned by the Amadinda Quartet in Budapest (on the occasion of its 25th Anniversary), by Nexus in Toronto, So Percussion in New York and Synergy Percussion in Australia. The world Premiere was given by the Amadinda Quartet in Bela Bartók National Concert Hall on December 6, 2009. The American Premiere was given by So Percussion at Stanford University Lively Arts in California on January 9, 2010.
-- Steve Reich

Category:

Music

Tags:

• percussion
• Steve Reich
• So Percussion
• Mallet Quartet
• marimba
• vibraphone
• vibes

[Hyardacil]

I like how Reich agrees with me that the 2nd is a wonderful interval.

[1ofdiamonds]

I have been a fan of Steve Reich for a few years, have heard/in my possession all the "classics" (classic big pieces that is) in one form or another: Drumming, Music for 18, Octet (in my opinion a classic), Tehillim, Desert Music, Different Trains etc.. Of his "smaller" pieces e.g. Music for Mallets, Voices & Organ, Proverb, the Counterpoint series etc. this is my favourite!! He is certainly not losing it - 73 when this was written!! Best on new disc. Detractors beware - this is massive. 1OD

[alcsportkid]

@jakeschlaerth19 Since it repeats to much, they write down how many measures they play that repeated portion. It is really handy in these situations

[dumm3rjunkie]

@Hyardacil It is probably the other way around. You agree with him.

[AfroDeezeeYak]

@Hyardacil I like how you agree with Reich, who agrees with Debussy that the 2nd is a wonderful interval.

[bandedefous99]

J'adore Steve Reich!!

[thetwentyfourth]

@Hyardacil That makes three of us.

[linkjoshua12]

@manskybook It's not the host (YouTube). Sounds like not enough bandwidth from your ISP, and maybe an outdated Flash Player. It buffers fine and is in perfect sync for me.

[manskybook]

like, very much, but I don't know if it's TWC or Google or YouTube, but the latency in downloading this piece is such that I can't hear an uninterrupted sequence of more than 30 seconds. So much for hi-band Internet in the US (and I live in LA). Oh, yeah - and it's out of sync!!!