ï~~Proceedings of the International Computer Music Conference (ICMC 2009), Montreal, CanadaAugust 16-21, 20092. STEVE REICH'S IESTHETIC AND ANALYSISOF NEW YORK COUNTERPOINT2.1. Music as a Gradual ProcessIn 1968, Reich wrote a significant essay, entitled Music asa Gradual Process [10a], in which he develops the idea ofprocess music. He argues for 'a compositional processand a sounding music that are one and the samething'[10a]. In order to facilitate perception of the processand each detail, change should happen very slowly and thematerial should be relatively simple. Such music may seemsuperfluous to some listeners, and interesting to others,but, as Reich explains: 'even when all the cards are on thetable and everyone hears what is gradually happening in amusical process, there are still enough mysteries to satisfyall. These mysteries are the impersonal, unintended,psychoacoustic by-products of the intended process' [10a].In fact Reich's music is incredibly rich because of themultiplicity of melodic-rhythmic patterns it offers.2.2. Importance of Resulting PatternsSteve Reich's pieces, as with many other minimal andrepetitive compositions, are constructed with individualmelodic-rhythmic motifs. These motifs are relativelysimple so that pulsation and tonality (or modality) areusually constant. Played alone, each motif is easilyperceived and recognized. Played together, they give birthto a complex polyphony whose constituent parts becomeindistinct. The interlocking of similar motifs at differentpoints produces an additional series of patterns changing asthe relationship between the constituent parts changes.These resulting patterns emanate from the mix of two ormore voices played on the same instrument.In his early works, from It's Gonna Rain (1965) toDrumming (1971), Reich used the gradual phasingtechnique, also called the phase-shifting technique. Inshort, the composer juxtaposes one individual motif withmultiple delayed statements of the same motif. Then thecomposer gradually changes the delay time between theoriginal and repeated voices: at the beginning the twovoices are in unison, then one is slowly shifted and becomedelayed from one beat up, then two beats up, until thewhole length of the pattern until voices are again in unison.By this means the resulting canon is constantly beingmodified [6].Since Clapping Music (1972), Reich has ceased usingthe phasing technique. His interest in gradual processes aswell as in African polyrhythm (during the summer of 1970,Reich went to Ghana to study drumming) led him toconceive a layered music in which dislocated counterpointsprings from several melodic motifs longer than those usedin the phase shifting pieces. His music is alwaysconstructed with delays between voices but the shiftingbetween the beats is no more gradual.By affecting the number and order of tones in eachinitial motif as well as the number of motifs juxtaposedand the delays between them, the composer can createmyriad complex polyphonic structure that individuallisteners can interpret differently: indeed, each listener canidentify prominent melodic or rhythmic structures, calledresulting patterns, by focusing on different tones played indifferent layers. But the composer can also guide thelistener by doubling one of these patterns. To illustrate allthese compositional techniques, we present here ananalysis of the piece New York Counterpoint.2.3. Description of New York Counterpoint2.3.1. Multiple representations of a single instrumentNew York Counterpoint (hereafter 'NYC') was composedin 1985 for the American clarinetist Richard Stoltzman(Reich later wrote versions for saxophone solo orsaxophone quartet). In the original version of NYC, theperformer pre-records 10 clarinet parts: Bb clarinet ontracks 1-7, Bb bass clarinet for tracks 9 and 10, and bothfor track 8. The eleventh part is performed live. This piecedemonstrates a predilection for the multiple representationof a single instrument, an old idea Reich explored for thefirst time in Violin Phase (1967) for violin and tape (or 4violins).In Violin Phase, there is just one single short motifplayed by the performer and replayed on different tracks ofthe tape. In 2 stable sections of the piece, i.e. those inwhich each layer has an identical beat, the violinist isinvited to underline some of the pre-existing resultingpatterns. Several of them are actually suggested by thecomposer, while others are selected by performer.In NYC, Reich doesn't use the gradual phasingtechnique and doesn't let the performer choose theresulting melody. In fact, NYC is a continuation of theideas developed in the counterpoint series, pieces in whicha soloist is invited to play against a pre-recorded tape. Thefirst of them was Vermont Counterpoint (1982) foramplified flute and tape (or 8 flutes), followed by NewYork Counterpoint (1985) for clarinet and tape (or 11clarinets). Later, Reich composed Electric Counterpoint(1987) for electric guitar and tape (or guitar ensemble) andmore recently Cello Counterpoint (2003) for amplifiedcello and tape.2.3.2. Compositional techniqueMany technical processes used in his earlier music areincluded in NYC [10c]. For example, the piece utilizesmelodies resulting from the combination of severalindividual motifs, as in Reich's gradual phase-shiftinginstrumental pieces (1966-1971). The pulse session at thebeginning of the first movement and the conception of aharmonic cycle are directly connected to Music for 18494

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