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SXSW: The Steve Reich showcase
From the looks of things in the upstairs recital hall of St. David’s Episcopal Church Wednesday night, SXSW’s first foray into classical music was a hit. A capacity crowd of “new music” aficionados responded enthusiastically to performances by members of the Austin Chamber Music Center, the SOLI ensemble from San Antonio, guitarist C. E. Whalen and the New York-based group So Percussion.
Sponsored by publisher Boosey & Hawkes in collaboration with Gramophone magazine and Nonesuch records, the program featured music by John Adams, Michael Torke, Elliott Carter, Elena Kats-Chemin and Steve Reich, who was in attendance. The showcase explored a broad spectrum of contemporary chamber music, all of which was exciting stuff; but the highlights of the evening had to be the Reich pieces played by So Percussion. Who would have thought that sticks and human hands could move at the speed of hummingbird wings — literally turning into blurs, from which emerged amazing sounds.
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