Reviews – Steve Reich Festival

“Finally in the evening's biggest piece, The Four Sections from 1987, we heard something else: a stark ritual quality and solemn joy that for me is rooted in Reich's Jewish faith. The pulsating, radiant close, brought to a climax with staggering energy by conductor Colin Currie, felt like a musical rendition of the Biblical King David, "dancing with all his might before the Lord". ”

“Tightly corralled by Currie – a conductor with a percussionist’s instinct for meter – shimmering washes of sound and aching melodies coalesced in moments of iridescent splendour.”

“It was brilliantly done by the Hallé players with Currie conducting - but it's not the entire story. We also saw the optional accompanying abstract film by Gerhard Richter and Corinna Belz. Vivid pixel stripes morphed into rich patterns, saturated with colour and texture. The music mirrored its transformations- the effect was mesmerising.”