Thank you, Minimal effort, for including that description about the basis for this quartet. The "Unchained Melody" quote is a sweet touch on Nyman's part. ;)
Absolutely brilliant piece of music and nicely performed. I bought the album when it was released and I had never heard of Steve Reich, but anything on ECM was bound to be good. It's mesmerizing and never seems repetitive. I had bought some albums of minimalist music by other composers, but this really stands above the rest. Reich's melodic sensibility is really wonderful and I consider him one of the greatest contemporary composers. All the live performances are really close to the ECM studio version.
So Beautiful and so clear......Excellent...This is a great Masterpiece. I heard only the ECM recording in 1978,but this is a bit different,more clearer.I love this Masterpiece for ever..
This music touches deeply. I was listening to it while floating on a tube in a swimming pool looking up at the sky in the woods. I was fortunately by myself and could completely merge with the music. I cried and laughed and cried again. Have not experienced such deep unlocking of feelings inside of me in a long time. It is truly a masterpiece.
where does this version of It's Cold Outside come from, where was it published? I could only find one that says "performed by American Composers Orchestra conducted by Dennis Russell Davies, Alice Tully Hall, NYC, November 1981, available online via New Music USA"
20:06, beginning part the second; 47:11, glockenspiel;...and that last piece...pretty amazing stuff! wonderful that you own the original vinyl...must give you so much pleasure!...thanks!
I never call this nonsense music , are you kidding Beethoven Bach and all those great composers are shaking in their graves. Such a waist of time any 5 years old can write piece kiłę this
Ricther will be remembered through posterity for writing this masterpiece as the composer of this generation. How will the world look like in a thousand years without this masterpiece?
the order of the pieces is wrong :-( I have heard another version of the "rejected score" with the intended order for the non -movie purposes. Its beautiful music. :-)
I watched the Michael Nyman band play this live in the early 90’s I think at the Barbican, wow, by the end of it I was on the edge of my seat and my heart beat in time with the music. One of my favourite live music events 😀
Recently had the pleasure of meeting with Russ Hartenberger and playing Nagoya Marimbas for him. Amazing experience. He talked about transitioning Piano Phase onto marimba. It was an amazing experience
First Movement: "My Son, mu Son chosen and beloved Share your wounds with your Mother And because, dear Son, I have always carried You in my heart, And always served You faithfully Speak to Your Mother, to make her happy, Although You are already leaving me, my cherished hope". (Lamentation from the collection of medieval passion poems from Benedictine Monastery of St. Cross on Łysa Góra, Poland. Second half of the 15th century. Author unknown). Second Movement: "No, mother, do not weep. Most chaste Queen of Heaven Support me always. Hail Mary, full of grace". (Prayer inscribed on the wall of cell no. 3 in the basement of "Palace" - the Gestapo's headquarters in Zakopane, Poland; Beneath was the signature: Helena Wanda Błażusiakówna, 18 years old, imprisoned since 26 September 1944"). [Helena Błażusiak survived torture without betraying her comrades and then she managed to escape from deportation train to nazi concentration camp. She died in 1999]. Third Movement: "Where has he gone My dearest son? Perhaps during the uprising The cruel enemy killed him Ah, you bad people In the name of God, the most Holy, Tell me, why did you kill My son? Never again Will I have his support Even if I cry My old eyes out Were my bitter tears to create another River Oder They would not restore to life My son He lies in his grave and I know not where Though I keep asking people Everywhere Perhaps the poor child Lies in a rough ditch and instead he could have been lying in his warm bed Oh, sing for him God's little song-birds Since his mother Cannot find him And you, God's little flowers May you blossom all around So that my son May sleep happily". (The folk song from the period of the Silesian Uprisings of 1919-1921).
Część I: "Synku miły i wybrany Rozdziel z Matką swoje rany; A wszakom Cię, Synku miły W swem sercu nosiła A takież Tobie wiernie służyła, Przemów k Matce Bych się ucieszyła, Bo już jidziesz ode mnie Moja Nadziejo miła". (fragment "Lamentu świętokrzyskiego" z opactwa benedyktyńskiego na Świętym Krzyżu. Lata 70-te XV w. Autor nieznany). Część II: "Mamo, nie płacz, nie... Niebios Przeczysta Królowo, Ty zawsze wspieraj mnie. Zdrowaś Mario, Łaskiś Pełna". (modlitwa wyryta przez młodą łączniczkę ZWZ-AK w celi katowni gestapo. Poniżej modlitwy znajdowała się inskrypcja: Zakopane Palace, cela nr 3, ściana nr 3. Błażusiakówna Helena Wanda, lat 18, siedzi od 25 września 44"). [Helena Błażusiak nikogo nie zdradziwszy przeżyła tortury, a także udało się jej zbiec z transportu do obozu. Zmarła w 1999 r.]. Część III: "Kajze mi sie podzioł moj synocek miły? Pewnie go w powstaniu złe wrogi zabiły. Wy niedobrzy ludzie, dla Boga świętego cemuście zabili synocka mojego? Żodnej ja podpory juz nie byde miała, choćbych moje stare ocy wypłakała. Choćby z mych łez gorzkich drugo Odra była, jesce by synocka mi nie łozywiła. Lezy on tam w grobie, a jo nie wiem kandy choć sie opytuje między ludźmi wsandy. Moze nieborocek lezy kay w dołecku, a mogłby se lygać na swoim przypiecku. Ej, ćwierkajcie mu tam, wy ptosecki boze, kiedy mamulicka znaleźć go nie moze. A ty, boze kwiecie, kwitnijze w około, niech sie synockowi choć lezy wesoło". (ludowa pieśń z czasów Powstań Śląskich 1919-1921).
