This documentary opens with an off-camera voice, that of Steve
Reich answering the telephone in his home on April 20, 2009.
The phone had rung several times, and Reich was at first annoyed,
then said that the calls meant either very bad news or very
good news. It turned out to be an NPR announcer calling to tell
Reich that he had won the Pulitzer Prize for his work Double
Sextet.
For those unfamiliar with Steve Reich’s work, he is one of the
founders and leading proponents of minimalism, together with
Philip Glass, LaMonte Young and Terry Riley. Reich and Glass,
while heading in different directions, have brought this music
into the mainstream, and created a number of very important
works that have marked the last few decades.
This documentary shows Reich at his home, talking about his
music, and in New York, Le Havre, Rome, and Manchester, where
he attends performances of his works and talks with musicians
who are rehearsing his works. Reich is very open about his music,
patiently explaining his ideas and techniques, and not adopting
any sort of elitist attitude. One could say that Reich’s music
is “popular”, in the sense that it depends on no complex techniques
(such as serialism), ideology, and is essentially tonal and
rhythmic.
The discussions with Reich are very interesting. He talks about
his works, his techniques, and how he feels about different
types of music. He does this notably in the “bonus” - outtake
- entitled ‘A Brief History of Music, by Steve Reich’, where
he discusses the main composers and their importance. The performance
sections are, unfortunately, too brief to offer any real appreciation
of this music, if you are not already familiar with it. I would
have liked to have a real “bonus” with a full performance of
one of the works that are shown in small bits, especially that
of 2X5 by Bang on a Can in Manchester, in July, 2009. There
are excerpts from many of Reich’s works, but all are too short.
The Talks in Tokyo bonus is interesting. Reich doesn’t
involve himself in lectures. When he gives talks he plays a
recording of a piece not performed in the concert that the audience
has heard, and then answers questions. In this case, he played
You Are (Variations), a 2004 work. The questions and answers
are indeed interesting and worth listening to.
I’m very familiar with Steve Reich’s work. I have nearly all
of the available recordings of his music, and attended many
concerts given by his ensemble in the late 1970s and early 1980s
in New York, as well as a number of others in France over the
years. For this reason, I would have liked more from this documentary.
It is not intended for people like me, however; it is more for
those who are new to this music, or who have a passing curiosity
about Reich’s work. It’s an interesting program to see on TV,
but it might not be worth buying, as there’s not much value
in watching it more than once. This said, if you don’t know
this music, I strongly recommend looking into Steve Reich’s
unique type of minimalism. From his seminal Music for 18
Musicians, to the recent Double Sextet / 2X5, Reich’s
works are among the most interesting in contemporary tonal music.
Kirk McElhearn
rec. 2007-2009, various locations. 
[52:00 (Documentary) + 28:00 (Bonus)] 
