Precision, drive, and earnestness characterize this performance of Steve Reich’s early minimalist epic Drumming in a way that misses the proverbial forest for the trees. The musicians opt for a basic tempo that seems a shade too fast to allow Reich’s subtle phase-shifting figures to truly breathe and interact, let alone resonate. (By the end of section two, the players have slightly slowed down, in contrast to the rock-steady pulse Steve Reich and Musicians maintain in their earlier DG and Nonesuch recordings). For all the clarity and definition close miking affords, it also exaggerates the notey, mechanical quality in the fourth section’s steel-edged, liltless interplay. The Nonesuch recording retains top honors, but the hard-to-find DG edition is worth seeking. The latter benefits from more repeats observed–and the music unfolds in a more leisurely and loving fashion, even if it does spill onto a second disc. Cyprès includes excellent booklet notes.
