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Steve Reich: Roundhouse, London

Karl Dallas, Melody Maker, 12 February 1977

OSTENSIBLY, the two Steve Reich concerts at London's Roundhouse last Sunday and the Sunday before reversed the natural order of things, starting with a complete performance of his most recent piece, 'Music For 18 Musicians', on January 30, and going right back to early things like his 'Clapping Music' of 1972 last Sunday. However, it was the right way to do it, for his latest piece is far more accessible in the richness of its harmonic structure and the varied texture of the instruments employed, and thus a better starting point than the earlier pieces, where Reich's rhythmic theories are displayed in a much more intransigent manner.

Total word count of piece: 352

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