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Steve Reich

Steve Reich Quotes

Composer

Steve Reich is an influential American composer born on October 3, 1936. Known for his minimalist style, his music has had a profound impact on modern music. Reich's works often feature repetitive melodies and the fusion of electronic music with live instruments, pioneering new forms of musical expression.

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All Want Ifs Artist Care Cities Done Important Moved New York People

Famous Steve Reich Quotes

“I discovered that the most interesting music of all was made by simply lining the loops in unison, and letting them slowly shift out of phase with other.”

Made Interesting Phases Most Interesting Loops Unison

Book:Writings on Music, 1965-2000

Source: Writings on Music, 1965-2000

“in serial music, the series itself is seldom audible... What I'm interested in is a compositional process and a sounding music that are one in the same thing.”

Process Series Serials

Book:Writings on Music, 1965-2000

Source: Writings on Music, 1965-2000

“What I don't want to do is to go and buy a bunch of exotic-looking drums and set up an Afrikanische Musik in New York City.”

Want Cities New York Bunch New York City Exotic

Book:Writings on Music, 1965-2000

Source: Writings on Music, 1965-2000

“I write music, and I want people to listen to it and care about it and have it make some difference in their lives. When I'm fortunate for that to happen, then of course I feel very, very good about it.”

People Want Feels Writing Happens Care Courses Differences Very Good Fortunate

Author:Steve Reich

“In the pop world, instead of saying I want to get an album by such and such a group, it's I like this particular tune and that one I like less. I think it's much better to get involved with an artist instead of riding up and down the works you like and disregard the works you don't like.”

Thinking World Want Artist Groups Particular Involved Albums Pops Tunes Riding Up And Down Get Involved Disregard

Author:Steve Reich

“I'm not making any absurd comparisons between myself and Bach, but I aspire to that, that my music will have the legs to survive whatever context it finds itself in.”

Legs Absurd Comparison Aspire

Author:Steve Reich

“All great music is contemporary. If it's still alive and kicking, then it's contemporary. If it fades away, it was a period piece. It had its moment, and that was it.”

Ifs Stills Moments Pieces Alive Periods Music Is Contemporary Fades Kicking Great Music Fade Away

Author:Steve Reich

“It's very important for any artist, in any field, to take their own temperature and check out their own energy, and see what it is they ought to be doing to keep the energy up. Because if your energy is not up, you're going to come up with some really dreary piece of work that no one's going to enjoy.”

Ifs Important Artist Energy Enjoy Pieces Fields Ought Come Up Checks Temperature Dreary

Author:Steve Reich

“I've learned over the years that geography is not that important, except that I seem to work better in the country than the city. I get more done. There's just less happening around me, and I have more time and concentration to work on music.”

Years Important Country Done Seems Cities Happenings I've Learned Concentration More Time Geography

Author:Steve Reich

“All music does come from a time and place. I was born and raised in New York. I moved out of New York, but it's inside of me and it will be inside of me until they put me in a box in the ground.”

Doe Born New York Moved Raised Boxes Born And Raised

Author:Steve Reich

“I don't care how much people understand what it is that I'm doing, except if they're players in my ensemble or other ensembles. I just want people to be moved by the music. If you're not moved by the music, then everything else falls away. You're not interested in the text, you're not interested in how it was done, and you're not interested in interviewing the composer and all the rest of it.”

People Ifs Want Done Care Fall Player Moved Don't Care I Don't Care Composer Not Interested Ensemble

Author:Steve Reich

“Up to the age of 14 I had not heard a note of anything before 1750, never heard a note of Bach, never heard anything after Wagner, and never heard any real jazz.”

Real Age Heard Jazz Notes Wagner

Author:Steve Reich

“As a matter of fact, I personally would much rather hear Perotin than Mozart.”

Matter Facts Matter Of Fact

Author:Steve Reich

About the Author

Born: October 3, 1936
Known for: Composer
Quotes: 13

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Writings on Music, 1965-2000Related source material

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