No dance at all

DICK SAYS: The Steve Reich piece, Music for 18 Musicians, was pretty popular in the late '70s. It probably sold better than whatever Philip Glass was doing at the time (Einstein on the Beach?), but Glass, of course, had the last laugh in the popularity department.  Reich didn't use synths or anything electronic for that matter--even the vibraphone he employs has its motor detached in his own recorded version. Not sure if that was true of the Belgian ensemble that played it here. Anyhow, the piece benefits from the sonic richness of the acoustic instruments. The use of dynamics is very interesting, too. Although this music was classified early on as an example of "minimalism," it really is fairly complex and at times undeniably melodic. There's even a flashy turnaround bit. In any case, I don't think the Belgian choreographer really "got" the pulse of this music, and the dancers certainly paid almost no attention to it's very definite rhythm. One wonders why. To paraphrase Ezra Pound: dance separated from the music is no dance at all.

June 1, 2011 3:15 PM