Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Composer Steve Reich celebrates his 90th birthday with a deluxe presentation of his iconic masterwork MUSIC FOR 18 MUSICIANS

• By drediman
• October 16, 2026
• No Comments

This week, I had the great privilege of celebrating Steve Reich’s landmark 90th birthday by attending Park Avenue Armory’s special presentation of the influential minimalist composer’s shimmering masterwork Music for 18 Musicians (the short run concludes this Sunday). Aptly entitled Music for 18 Musicians: Staged Variations, the mesmerizing durational experience was three-and-a-half continuous hours, or three cycles, of the iconic 1976 piece, courtesy of three generations of music ensembles — the Steve Reich Ensemble, Alarm Will Sound, and Tactus. As an enticing bonus, the evening also included a special guest appearance by Pulitzer Prize-winner Caroline Shaw, who composed a new piece, inspired by Music for 18 Musicians, as a sort of connective musical tissue between the first two cycles. At just over an hour, Reich’s rhythmic, minimalist score — with its alluring flourishes of syncopation — is both meditative and musically accessible, and an altogether extraordinary achievement in the world of music. Performed in-the-round with audiences also sprinkled throughout the playing area, the deluxe occasion at the Armory was masterminded by conductor Alan Pierson, who has had a long and fruitful association with Reich’s work. Overall, it was a night to remember.

Over the course of the evening, the the ambitious endeavor did well to highlight the musical aesthetic of each cycle, thanks in part to the thoughtful modulations in Mark Grey’s masterful sound design for each ensemble. First up was the Steve Reich Ensemble, who unsurprisingly gave a sterling account of the work. Although statically positioned at the center of the floor, the performance was perhaps the most assured and technically precise of the three. It was also featured the most traditional stereophonic amplification of the night (otherwise, Grey’s design favored more of a dynamic surround sound approach). You can tell that Reich’s composition has seeped into the players’ very being. Following a short but evocative looped piece for voice and viola by Caroline Shaw — which cleverly camouflaged the mass re-arrangement of the instruments — cycle two was embarked upon by Tactus, a youthful ensemble comprised of students from the Manhattan School of Music. Their playing was warm and the most congenial of the bill, coming across like friends jamming at a house party. The performance was playfully choreographed, organically spilling across the expanse of the drill hall as the piece glacially unspooled, slipping smoothly into the final cycle by Alarm Will Sound, which seemed to channel and meld the two performances that had preceded it. Musically, the group’s take was the lushest and most orchestral, if you will, of the three. It was certainly the most ethereal and timeless. Suffice to say, each ensemble performed with exuberance, concentration, and consummate teamwork — requisites for successfully conquering Music for 18 Musicians.

With its painterly sonic swaths, Music for 18 Musicians invites theatrical interpretation — just look at its lavish presentation via the massive art and sound installation Sonic Sphere at The Shed three years ago. As directed by John Heginbotham, the Armory’s “Staged Variations” were a laid-back affair, with audiences freely going in and out of the drill hall as they desired. Although at times this prevented the performances from fully casting a spell, the more casual atmosphere definitely made for a more comfortable audience experience, especially since no intermissions were integrated into the program (intentionally left out to allow the evening to flow seamlessly). The production’s secret weapon was Urs Schönebaum’s monumental lighting design, which sculpted the empty space with a striking visual progression that was hypnotic in its own right. Even with a good chunk of the audience having left the venue by the conclusion, the ovation for the overall effort was genuinely heartfelt and enthusiastic. The Steve Reich birthday celebration doesn’t end here — next week, Carnegie Hall hosts an evening of music by the composer, including a US-premiere commission. That concert will feature Bang on a Can All-Stars, who were sadly missing at the Armory (their rendition of Music for 18 Musicians at BAM two years ago was superb).

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

MUSIC FOR 18 MUSICIANS: STAGED VARIATIONS
Classical Music
Park Avenue Armory
3 hours, 30 minutes (without an intermission)
Through October 18