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Greg Sandow's highly positive review of the In C extravaganza at Carnegie Hall includes this quote:
At first I thought the pulse was heavy, and the texture muddled. I'd
see people playing, but I couldn't hear them. But then I simply
listened to the sound, and stopped caring about how I thought "In C"
should be organized.
I had to make a similar mental adjustment at the recent Philip Glass Music in Twelve Parts concert:
1 Within two minutes of the beginning of the concert, I decided I didn't like the sound. With three-plus hours to go, this was not an auspicious start. The keyboards were too tinny and I couldn't hear the woodwinds....Fortunately, Part 1 is a favorite with its tranquil, soothing quality (well, compared to the usual Glass music that is), so I decided to just relax and take it in.
I've never heard live that other iconic minimalism piece -- Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians -- but I suspect a similar mindset change is not required. Well, at least for us sequentialists anyway...
(lala)
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