Reich: Sextet & Double Sextet

One of the pioneers of minimalism, Steve Reich has created era-defining works that have shaped a generation of composers, and his experiments with rhythm, percussion and looping have produced some of the most interesting new music of recent times. Here, the Danish chamber ensemble Ekkozone takes on music from two distinct periods of Reich’s output. The 1984 Sextet was written with dancers in mind and is scored for pianos and synthesisers, marimbas, vibraphones and assorted untuned percussion instruments. Employing extended techniques, such as the inclusion of a double bass bow for use on the vibraphone’s bars, Reich creates unique sounds within the captivating rhythms that underscore the work’s three movements. The Double Sextet (2007)—for two sets of piano, flute, clarinet, violin, cello and vibraphones—won 2009’s Pulitzer Prize for Music. The piece is often performed by a single sextet playing along with a recording of the other parts, but in this 2014 recording from Copenhagen’s Jazzhouse, the impressive Ekkozone plays everything live.