Classical music: Which contemporary composer is Bach and which one is Handel? And is it peace or a truce? Philip Glass and Steve Reich appear together at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Which one do you prefer?

By Jacob Stockinger

The New York Times referred to them as Johann Sebastian Bach and Georg Frideric Handel getting back together as contemporaries.

The Ear likes that comparison, although the older Baroque composers will doubtlessly remain a lot more influential than either of the newer contemporary ones.

The two “new guys” are the celebrated living American composers Steve Reich (below top) and Philip Glass (below bottom), both of them now 77 years old and considered pioneers of New Music and Minimalism.

The have apparently been estranged for quite a few years. But then they appeared last week at the Brooklyn Academy of Music to help mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of Nonesuch Records, a pioneering label that has been home to both of them. (Below is a photo of Philip Glass, left) and Steve Reich, by Betana Sikoria for The New York Times.)

By all accounts it was a momentous event, with sold-out houses, that stirred audiences to loud cheers when they played, including Steve Reich’s “Four Organs,” which is featured at the bottom in a YouTube video of the original 1970 recording that also featured Philip Glass. (Below, the two are performing the same work in a photo at BAM by Chad Batka for The New York Times.)

Here is a story from the Deceptive Cadence blog by National Public Radio (NPR):

http://www.npr.org/blogs/deceptivecadence/2014/09/10/347392860/philip-glass-and-steve-reich-at-bam-together-again-yet-still-apart

And here are two stories — one is a preview for background and the other is a review — that compared their friendship to a piece of music by Reich -– from The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/11/arts/music/philip-glass-and-steve-reich-reunite-at-bam.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/15/arts/music/after-decades-steve-reich-and-philip-glass-reunite-at-bam.html

The Ear tends to like the music of Philip Glass more than Steve Reich, but not always.

Still, there is no getting round the influence of both men.

Which composer do you generally prefer and why?

And what is your favorite piece by each?

The Ear wants to hear.

 

 

 

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Posted in Classical music
Tags: Arts, Bach, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Chamber music, Classical music, Compact Disc, Early music, George Frideric Handel, Glass, Glimmerglass Festival, Handel, Jacob Stockinger, Johann Sebastian Bach, minimalism, Music, National Public Radio, New York City, New York Times, Nonesuch Records, NPR, organ, Philip Glass, Reich, Steve Reich, Unbreakable (film), YouTube