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Published on 5/17/08
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When political journalist and amateur violinist Daniel Pearl was abducted and brutally killed six years ago in Pakistan, Steve Reich was one of many who itched to do something about it. Restless artist that he is, Reich parlayed his anger and sadness into a fine 2005 tribute to the slain man and his writings—the four-movement Daniel Variations —which has been released for the first time on Nonesuch.
When the discordant and unsettling piano opening hits, it’s clear something isn’t quite familiar in Reichville. The composer still relies on his trademark repetition, but there isn’t the guarded glee of New York Counterpoint or Music for 18 Musicians. As Reich delves for despondence, the violin’s prominence is a sentimental tip of the hat to Pearl’s own love of the instrument. Gershon leads the Los Angeles Master Chorale, whose singing of the words “my name is Daniel Pearl” in the second movement eerily captures the Wall Street Journal reporter’s final words. This isn’t something we’d want to (or could) listen to on a daily basis, but Reich’s energized, propulsive sound can lift the gravest of themes into an unexpected celebration.
The CD also includes a bonus piece: Commissioned for choreographer Akram Khan, Reich’s Variations for Vibes, Piano and Strings (2005) is a welcome contrast to the austere Daniel Variations. Led by Alan Pierson and the London Sinfonietta, the music jitters and jives around thumping piano chords, with shimmying strings that make you want to move.
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