Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Steve Reich wins the Pulitzer



Steve Reich won the Pulitzer prize for his Double Sextet, the rehearsal for which is documented in the video above. A lot of people are saying "about time" with regards to his winning; I am of the thinking that big scale awards serve to alert the public of what is right off their radar and bring a little cash to the artists and are not necessarily signifiers of timeless work. See this list of forgotten Pulitzer prize winning novels.

Steve Reich is completely deserving of this award and any accolade he gets; don't get it twisted. His music bridges the academic and the popular without assimilation or capitulation to either end of the spectrum. It is good music from seed to leaf. I just think his work is better served by discussion, perhaps in a short readable book, like say from a lovable small press that prints books of this sort, focusing on a single album, penned by an enthusiastic author who feels strongly about these aspects of Mr. Reich's music.

Ahh, who am I kidding? It will probably never sell.

Congrats to Steve Reich, and all in good fun, 33 1/3

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