To mark 40 years of collaboration, Nonesuch Records has released a 27-disc box set of Steve Reich’s collected works spanning his career so far, from 1965’s It’s Gonna Rain to Jacob’s Ladder which had its premiere in 2023. The collection includes extensive booklets containing new essays by writers closely connected to his music, and a comprehensive Listener’s Guide to each work by pianist and composer Timo Andres.
It is also the first chance to hear recordings of his newest works, Traveler’s Prayer and Jacob’s Ladder which are also released digitally and can be heard on streaming services now.
"Collected Works, with its rich detail and extraordinary depth, is an august monument honouring a music revolutionary who infiltrated the mainstream and profoundly shaped modern music." - Record Collector * * * *
"Reich is in my view the world’s greatest living composer who as he heads towards his ninth decade fully deserves this superbly annotated, beautifully presented and technically impeccable collection." - Rob Cowan, Presto Music
"Travelling across the entire sweep of this extraordinary boxset, you’re joyously reminded of Reich’s diversity and invention over 60 years, while all the time retaining an audible stamp that is instantly recognisable." - Uncut, Reissue of the Month, 10/10
"Reich aficionados will no doubt select their own highlights, but for me one of the collection’s main strengths lies not so much in the impact of the composer’s early works but in the ever-increasing range, sweep and diversity of his later period.... every piece has its special place in the ever-evolving lexicon of his musical language. There still remains so much to admire, appreciate and understand about the music of the significant figure in contemporary music." - BBC Music Magazine
