Review of eighth blackbird's April 17th NY debut of Double Sextext

Mr. Reich's work is the latest in his series of scores for two or more soloists -- or, in this case, ensembles. The players have the choice of performing all the parts onstage or recording one set and playing the rest live. Most musicians take the second option, as Eighth Blackbird did: in any case the spirit of these works is bound up in the juxtaposition of real players and their simulacra.

The "Double Sextet" begins with Mr. Reich's signature chugging rhythms but quickly moves a fair distance, as intricate rhythmic counterpoint and thickening harmonies displace the repetitive opening figure. Parts of the score are almost episodic, with distinct shifts of mood set apart by percussive full stops. In one fleeting passage a lyrical violin-cello duet over a hazy accompaniment sounded like a lightly distorted glimpse into a 19th-century European ballroom. That didn't last long: Mr. Reich's insistent rhythms quickly returned, restoring the work to its contemporary moorings. [NY Times]

Double Sextet, published by Hendon Music/Boosey & Hawkes (BMI), premiered by eighth blackbird on March 26, 2008 at the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia. The 22-minute work, completed in October 2007, is scored alternately for 6-piece ensemble ("Pierrot plus percussion": flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, and percussion) and pre-recorded tape or 12-piece ensemble. The Pulitzer citation describes the piece as "a major work that displays an ability to channel an initial burst of energy into a large-scale musical event, built with masterful control and consistently intriguing to the ear." [NewMusicBox]

eighth blackbird recording the 2nd sextet part of Steve Reich's Double Sextet