United Kingdom Steve Reich – a 90th Birthday Celebration: Jonny Greenwood (electric and bass guitar), Royal Academy of Music Manson Ensemble, London Sinfonietta / Chloe Rooke (conductor), 27.9.2026. (AK)
Steve Reich – Clapping Music; Pulse Radio; Rewrite; Electric Counterpoint; City Life
With one exception, the music presented on this concert was entirely new to me in many dimensions. The one exception is the Clapping Music which I experienced at a musicianship course a few decades ago.
Specified for two performers with a flexible metronome marking between 160 and 184, no time signature is suggested but each block representing a bar seems to add up to six beats. On paper, therefore, the piece is not too difficult but – as I know from experience – it is truly challenging.
The Sinfonietta’s two players, presumably percussionists David Hocking and Jess Wood, had a difficult task but they negotiated the composed desynchronisation with faultless professionalism. Nevertheless, it might have been more interesting to have this piece performed by more than two players – as it often is – owing to the size of the Royal Festival Hall. Perhaps with all musicians participating at this concert, with the excellent conductor Chloe Rooke policing the beat?
Pulse is scored for two flutes, two clarinets, violin and viola parts, piano and electric bass. The latter instrument was played by Jonny Greenwood, with full discipline of a regular ensemble player. I had no idea that this bass guitarist was a famous celebrity who might have been instrumental in packing the hall.
The piano and bass provide the constant rhythmic pulse while winds and upper strings – without any cello – sing their melodies. And, on this occasion, we also had lighting display and contributions by some cloud machine. Why? The participation of lighting and cloud display was evident for the rest of the concert. Why?
Radio Rewrite, Reich’s take on two Greenwood songs, brought more players onto the stage (one cellist, two percussionists) but the lighting and cloud display still continued. The piece and its performance were lovely and uplifting; it seemed strange to listen to it on our seats instead of dancing to it.
Electric Counterpoint consists of pre-recorded guitar music and a live guitar soloist presenting ensemble music. I have no idea of the accuracy of either the recording or to Greenwood’s take on it. However, the performance was exciting, mesmerising and it had the hallmarks of true professionalism. London Sinfonietta will perform its Reich tribute on 12th October in Budapest. The guitar player will be another celebrity, this time the Hungarian jazz guitarist and composer Bálint Gyémánt. It would be interesting to see any similarities or differences but – although I will be in Budapest at the time, attending another event – I will not have the opportunity for the comparison.
City Life is what it says on the tin as it aims to present the sounds of New York. Reich here uses a large ensemble – 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 pianos, 2 sampling keyboards, unpitched percussion, and a string quartet with a double bass – to indicate the sounds of car horns, trains, sirens, door slamming but also what felt like some klezmer music to my ears.
I cannot but praise all performers, which included the London Sinfonietta and students from the Royal Academy of Music, and the excellent conductor Chloe Rooke. Precision, discipline, stamina and self-effacing professionalism was evident throughout the concert.
Did we need the lights and clouds to accompany the music? I am not sure.
Do I understand why long pieces of up to 24 minutes in length and with a large variety of instruments can classify as minimalists? I am not sure.
London Sinfonietta did true credit to Steve Reich who turns 90 on 3rd October 2026. Happy Birthday, Maestro!
Agnes Kory