Triple Quartetis Reich's first new work for the Kronos Quartet since writing his masterpiece Different Trains in 1988. It may disappoint – there doesn't appear to be anything particularly new or different happening here. Electric GuitarPhase, on the other hand, shows precisely what's missing in Triple Quartet. The American guitarist Dominic Frasca has arranged Violin Phase, originally composed for four violins in the heady days of 1967, for four overdubbed guitars, and the result is sheer joy. Such is Frasca's sensitivity to every nuance of phrasing between the four lines that this recording is a classic for the minimalist genre, easily eclipsing the violin original in terms of intensity and tonal variety.
Up to now performances of Reich's music have been dominated by the composer's participative presence, even in larger concert works such as The Desert Music. His predilection for earthy, well-grounded tempos set the norm for performances of his music throughout the 1970s and 80s. Two recordings here are fascinating because they were made without Reich's active participation. In this recording of Music ForLarge Ensemble, the melodic invention at this jazzy, vibrant tempo sounds almost as if Reich had been listening to Ghanaian and Scottish folk music. Yet this is nothing compared to Tokyo/Vermont Counterpoint, where Mika Yoshida's articulation is so fast that at times you feel helium had escaped in the studio. This is compulsory listening for anyone who appreciates a little perversity now and again.