Reich: Different Trains

Different Trains, by Steve Reich, performed by the Kronos Quartet ★★★
Reich is an interesting composer, in that he provides minimalist music while maintaining a tonal system. There are several works on this album, the first being a set of three pieces, before, during, and after the war, which has electronic music and speech combined. It has a fascinating approach that doesn’t lead to the tediousness or monotony of a Philip Glass or other minimalists. This is not exactly an album to rush out and buy unless you wish to dazzle your friends with the bizarre. For twentieth-century exploration, it could be a quite enjoyable album to hear.