Steve Reich: Different Trains

Week 3

Whilst maintaining the theme of 'Uncovering Minimalism', it may seem I'm starting to develop a theme of modes of transportation: This week we'll be taking a dive into Steve Reich's 'Different Trains'. From fast machines (sports cars) to trains, let's just hope next week doesn't feature planes! 'Different Trains' stands as a quintessential example of minimalism, characterized by its simplicity, repetition and gradual transformation. It ventures into the world of music technology, where we will take at our first proper look at how, in conjunction with the minimalist style, it plays a key role in shaping this work.

Steve Reich: Different Trains

Listen to the first three pieces within this playlist, featuring Reich's 'Different Trains' in three intertwined movements: 'America, Before the War', 'Europe, During the War' and 'After the War'. Each movement taking on a significant role within the narrative that runs throughout the piece.

The piece opens with 'America, Before the War', where the rhythmic clatter of train tracks sets off a feeling of nostalgia and youthful wonderment. Reich masterfully intertwines the soothing strings with recorded speech fragments, evoking a sense of a bygone era filled with innocence and discover - a theme we will shortly explore.

As the composition shifts to 'Europe, During the War', the mood darkens, and tension builds. Here, Reich juxtaposes serene melodies with the harrowing sounds of air-raid sirens and war-time chaos, immersing the listener in the terrifying reality faced by many. The repetitive motifs and dissonant harmonies create an almost palpable atmosphere of fear and uncertainty.

Finally, 'After the War' brings a carefully woven mix of relief and reflection. The blend of spoken word and delicate string arrangements evokes a bittersweet sense of rebuilding and remembrance. Within this movement, there's a profound introspection, an acknowledgment of the past, and a hopeful gaze towards the future.

Throughout the work, Reich not only showcases the power of simplicity and repetition, but also creates an emotionally charged and thought-provoking experience. This masterpiece serves as both a personal memoir and a historical commentary, leaving a lasting impact on anyone willing to embark on this unique auditory voyage.

Steve Reich, who is he?

Steve Reich, in my eyes, you could view as Mr Minimalism - definitely one of the fathers of the musical style, amongst other creative minimalist pioneers such as Philip Glass and Terry Riley, composers who's works we will be exploring later on within this series. Reich is a pioneering figure in the world of minimalist music, shaping the genre with the use of techniques such as tape loops, phase shifting, and speech melodies, adding an element of challenge to the listening experience whilst maintaining accessibility.

Reich was born in New York City in 1936, to Jewish parents. His parents divorced at the age of one, and consequently his life was very much divided between New York and California. His Jewish upbringing, along with his parents divorcing when he was so young played a key role in influencing this work. Reich grew up playing piano and aged 14, began studying drums to enable him to engage with Jazz. Reich went on to study composition at Julliard after graduating from Cornell University in 1957, having studied philosophy, under the guidance of Luciano Berio and Darius Milhaud. He later went on to work for the San Francisco Tape Music Centre, with other major pioneering composers of electronic music, such as Pauline Oliveros and Terry Riley.

What influenced this work?

'Different Trains', is a work written for string quartet and pre-recorded performance tape - an innovative method of composition informed by Reich's early pieces written for tape: 'It's Gonna Rain' and 'Come Out', written in 1965 and 1966 respectively. You will notice many similarities between these works and 'Different Trains', the only additional layer is the string quartet.

Here is a recording of Reich's 'It's Gonna Rain':

..and here is a recording of 'Come Out':

I think it is Reich's programme note which speaks best about the story behind this piece, found on the front cover of his score or online via his publisher, Boosey & Hawkes. I would also recommend watching the following video, where Reich is interviewed on his creative process and story behind this emotionally filled masterpiece.

In this video, we hear a reference from Reich to the works of Béla Bartók, perhaps one of the earliest introductions to the idea of sampling. Bartók was a trailblazer in integrating traditional folk music into his compositions, effectively 'sampling' the musical motifs, rhythms, and melodies of Eastern European traditions, using wax cylinders. The story behind Bartók's folk tune collecting and transcribing is very interesting and well worth exploring further!

The Music

There is an incredible amount to say about the music itself, within 'Different Trains'. I think there are three key areas to explore with this work:

• The performance and the electronics

  
  

• The minimalist foundations

  
  

• The dots on the page

The performance of this work is an interesting one, there is an incredibly detailed performance note at the front of the score which outlines almost every possible detail to be considered when performing this work. The most striking part of it is the diagram:

Reich has a visual, diagrammatic representation of the stage layout required to perform this piece in the front of the score. The string quartet forms only one part of this performance; the performance incorporates electronics managed by an off-stage sound technician who is responsible for balancing the CD recording with the live quartet. All four string players are required to be amplified, all close-mic'd with specific details on position to achieve the desired sound. The sound technician is required to have a "good musical ear", as well as be placed in an "excellent location in the hall" and should not be wearing headphones. Very specific indeed! - otherwise Reich's desired outcome won't be properly realised.

Building on Reich's earlier works written for tape, the work focusses much on the idea of layering voices and sound effects on top of live music. We hear sound effects such as trains clattering, whistles, air-raid sirens in different areas of the piece. This is particularly effective because it really immerses the listener within the world that Reich lived in between 1939 and 1942.

On top of these sound effects, we hear the voices of:

• Reich's governess Virigina, who was in her seventies, reminiscing about their railway journeys together.

  
  

• A retired Pullman porter, Lawrence Davis, who was in his eighties, who used to make a similar train journey made by Reich between New York and Los Angeles, reminiscing about his life.

  
  

• Collecting recordings of Holocaust survivors who were of a similar age to Reich at the time of recording and living in America speaking of their experiences.

All of these add an incredibly deep, spine-chilling sense of the horrific realities that Reich acknowledges throughout the duration of this work. It is interesting, however, how Reich mentions in the interview above about how if he was growing up in Europe at that time, how different his life would have been - his childhood innocence with regards to the atrocities taking place in mainland Europe is clear.

Amongst the rich context I have spent much of this week exploring, these recordings play a key role in Reich exploiting fundamental minimalist technique. Reich selects small speech samples that have clear pitches within them and notates them - these are then doubled and echoed amongst the ensemble. Here is an example of the first iteration of this occurring, over the words 'from Chicago to New York':

Simplicity, repetition and gradual transformation all occur when Reich shares his musical railway journey with us, clear and frankly clever development.

On the CD is also a recording of the three other string quartets scored, immersing the listener in this truly unique sound world. A question I want to understand, and would be interested to hear your thoughts - other than logistic and economic factors, could a performance of this piece work with the equivalent of four live string quartets and if so, what effect would that have on the feel of the performance? It makes you wonder!

My third point addresses Reich's notation: Reich's dynamic markings are of significant interest to me, within the context of this work. Reich's experience with music technology shines through even on the page - you will often see dynamic markings which say "Fade (dim.) out", the equivalent to using an "al niente" which literally translates to "to nothing". The composer in me finds it interesting that Reich really has embodied the language found in modern-day music production and scored it - an example that when writing, as long as creative intention is clear you can break free from traditional musical notation.

Another interesting observation from Reich's careful handling of motific development is the way it is aided through his use of metre; he often interchanges 2/4 and 3/8 time signatures. You could argue this aids this blurred sense of metre because going from 4 to 3 quavers in a bar rather unpredictably creates a real sense of ambiguity.

Lastly, I wanted to mention the way Reich creates interesting sound effects. Of course, we hear the tape recordings/samples of train whistles in the opening movement, however it is doubled in the harsh, downbow violin and the treble clef register of the cello making for an interesting effect - effectively imitating the sound of a train whistle. If this was a composition for screen you could argue that this would be a form of 'Mickey Mousing' (a genuine, technical term!), where the music is in sync with actions occurring on screen.

Fun Fact

Did you know that in 1966, Reich created a piece called 'Pendulum Music' which is an experimental work involving a simple yet fascinating setup - you suspend microphones over loudspeakers and let them swing like pendulums. As the microphones pass over the speakers, they generate feedback, creating a gradually evolving sonic pattern. There are no performers needed, just the natural motion of the pendulums!

Imagine attending a concert where the main performers are swinging microphones - certainly different!

Conclusion

'Different Trains' by Steve Reich is a masterful example of minimalist music, showcasing the power of simplicity, repetition and gradual transformation. This piece not only stands as a significant work in the minimalist repertoire but also offers listeners a profound and immersive experience. Reich's description at the bottom of his programme note:

I feel that the documentary is told through the music alone here, which certainly shows how effective Reich's masterful composition truly is.

I strongly encourage you to explore more of Steve Reich's works to fully appreciate his contribution to electronic and minimalist music. I plan to revisit a few other significant works by Reich in the coming weeks.