In celebration of Steve Reich’s 90th birthday on October 3rd, Music on Music is excited to present a listening session dedicated to the newly released 3LP box set “Recordings on ECM” (produced entirely in analog from the original master tapes), in partnership with ECM, Quarto Mundo, 8mm Records and Distrijazz. The event will take place at Quarto Mundo/Lugar Comum (Rua de Santa Catarina, 771, Porto, Portugal) on November 14th, 2026, at 8:00 PM, making full use of Quarto Mundo’s high-fidelity analog sound system for an immersive listening experience. Admission is 5€, with tickets available for purchase at the door or by sending a DM to Quarto Mundo, in order to reserve a spot.
“Recordings on ECM” comprises the three Steve Reich albums that were released on the label between 1978-1982 and authentically reintroduces the listener to recordings that have since become staples in contemporary music. The works included are “Music for 18 Musicians”, “Octet, Music for a Large Ensemble, Violin Phase” and “Tehillim”, tracing the influential early creative period of the composer and his development over the course of fifteen years.
Reich and his ensemble recorded “Music for 18 Musicians” in 1976 - shortly after the Town Hall premiere, with Deutsche Grammophon's Rudolf Werner producing – and ECM released it in 1978. The record’s popular success not only marked a breakthrough for the composer, but proved that new compositions could reach an audience beyond specialist or avant-garde circles, as listeners were drawn in to Reich’s world of interlocking sounds and genres, mesmerized by its gradually changing pulse patterns, layered counterpoint and exultant energy.
The second ECM album (1980) includes “Octet, Music for a Large Ensemble, Violin Phase”, combining the large ensemble compositions of the late 1970s with the phasing techniques of “Violin Phase” (1967). “Tehillim” (1982) marks a further turning point, which sets Hebrew psalms to four female voices and ensemble, conducted by George Manahan, in which extended melodic lines and sung texts take center stage. The work is the result of Reich’s exploration of his Jewish heritage, with original melodies shaped by the rhythm of the Hebrew words.