Steve Reich at 80, Royal Festival Hall​

Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians is one of the American minimalist’s most popular concert works, and deservedly so. Scored for voice, violin, cello, clarinet, bass clarinet, piano, marimbas, xylophone, marimba, metallaphone, its 18 pulsating movements are performed by only one, two or three of these at a time, which makes for a wondrous range of sounds within a single piece that is also intriguing to watch.

It was performed memorably at the BBC Proms in 2014, and is both hypnotically repetitive, and constantly on the move, a complex mesh of colours and textures. Written in 1976, it is a modern classic, and every live performance is an event. As part of the celebrations marking the composer’s 80th birthday, Music for 18 Musicians is performed by the Colin Currie Group and Synergy Vocals at the Royal Festival Hall.

The virtuoso percussionist Colin Currie was the dedicatee of the other work in the programme, Reich’s graceful and intimate Quartet for two vibraphones and two pianos, which received its world premiere at the Royal Festival Hall in 2014, and which is played again on this occasion. Whether you are already addicted to the rhythmic, kaleidoscopic sound world of Reich, or ready to try him for size, these two works fit the bill.