Umair Gaines
Electric Counterpoint is a minimalist composition by American composer Steve Reich, consisting of three movements: Fast, Slow, and Fast. The third movement, in particular, has been recognised as part of the Edexcel GCSE Anthology of Music in the 'Music in the 20th Century' category, alongside other works such as Peripetie and Something's Coming.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Movements | 3 |
| Style | Expressionism/Serialism, Musical Theatre, Minimalism |
| First Movement | Fast |
| Second Movement | Slow |
| Third Movement | Fast |
| Third Movement Style | Minimalism |
| Third Movement Features | Drones, Ostinato Loops, Phasing |
| Composition | Minimalist |
| Composer | Steve Reich |
| Year of First Recording | 1987 |
| First Recording Guitarist | Pat Metheny |
| Year of Release | 1989 |
| Releases | CD, LP, Download |
| Performers | Pat Metheny, Jonny Greenwood, Yaron Deutsch, Pierre Bibault, Santiago Quintáns, Giacomo Baldelli, Marco Maiole |
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What You'll Learn
- 'Electric Counterpoint' has three movements: Fast, Slow, and Fast
- The third movement was included in the GCSE Anthology of Music, in the 'Music in the 20th Century' section
- The piece was first recorded in 1987 by guitarist Pat Metheny
- The third movement was also sampled by the Orb for their song Little Fluffy Clouds
- The third movement features a return to the original tempo and key, with a new pattern in triple meter
'Electric Counterpoint' has three movements: Fast, Slow, and Fast
Electric Counterpoint, a minimalist composition by the American composer Steve Reich, has three movements: "Fast," "Slow," and "Fast." The piece was first recorded in 1987 by guitarist Pat Metheny, who made extensive use of overdubbing. Reich has offered two versions of the composition: one for electric guitar and tape (the tape part featuring two electric bass guitars and up to ten electric guitars), and the other for a guitar ensemble.
The third movement, in the style of minimalism, returns to the original tempo and key and introduces a new pattern in triple meter. After building up a four guitar canon, two bass guitars enter suddenly to further stress the triple meter. The soloist then introduces a strummed series of chords that are then built up in a three-guitar canon. As the movement progresses, the soloist returns to melodic patterns resulting from the overall counterpoint. The basses then begin to alternate between E minor and C minor and between 3/2 and 12/8 time signatures, creating a dynamic and unpredictable rhythmic shift.
The third movement of Electric Counterpoint has been featured and sampled in various popular culture works. For instance, it was included in the video game Civilization V as one of the "great works of music." Additionally, the Orb sampled the third movement of the Pat Metheny recording for their song "Little Fluffy Clouds."
The piece has also been performed and recorded by several notable musicians, including Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, who has performed it at various festivals and concerts with the London Contemporary Orchestra. Greenwood also recorded the piece for a Nonesuch album of Reich works titled Radio Rewrite, released in 2012. Other notable recordings include performances by Yaron Deutsch, Pierre Bibault, and Santiago Quintáns, each bringing their own interpretation to the composition.
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The third movement was included in the GCSE Anthology of Music, in the 'Music in the 20th Century' section
Electric Counterpoint is a minimalist composition by American composer Steve Reich. The piece consists of three movements: "Fast," "Slow," and "Fast". The third movement, in the style of minimalism, was included in the GCSE Anthology of Music, in the Music in the 20th Century section.
The third movement has been influential and has been sampled by many modern artists. For instance, the Orb sampled the third movement of the Pat Metheny recording as one of the hooks of "Little Fluffy Clouds". Similarly, RJD2 sampled the piece's opening for "The Proxy" from his first release, Deadringer.
In 2008, Joby Burgess' Powerplant arranged the work for the Xylosynth, drawing inspiration from Metheny and the Orb. Röyksopp released two remixes of the third movement in 2010 for free. One of the remixes is a reinterpretation titled "Milde Salve", while the other closely follows Reich's original composition.
Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood has also performed the piece at several festivals and concerts featuring the London Contemporary Orchestra. He recorded the piece for a Nonesuch album of Reich works titled Radio Rewrite, which was released in 2012.
The third movement returns to the original tempo and key and introduces a new pattern in triple meter. After building up a four-guitar canon, two bass guitars enter suddenly to emphasise the triple meter. The soloist then introduces a new series of strummed chords that are then built up in a three-guitar canon. The soloist eventually returns to the melodic patterns that result from the overall counterpoint.
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The piece was first recorded in 1987 by guitarist Pat Metheny
Electric Counterpoint is a minimalist composition by the American composer Steve Reich. The piece, consisting of three movements, was first recorded in 1987 by guitarist Pat Metheny, who made extensive use of overdubbing. The three movements are titled "Fast," "Slow," and "Fast." The recording was released on Nonesuch Records alongside Reich's Different Trains, performed by the Kronos Quartet.
Pat Metheny's 1987 recording of Electric Counterpoint has been influential and has been sampled by many modern artists. For example, the Orb sampled the third movement of Metheny's recording for their song "Little Fluffy Clouds." In 2008, Joby Burgess' Powerplant arranged the work for Xylosynth, drawing influence from Metheny and the Orb.
In addition to its impact on popular music, Electric Counterpoint has been included in educational materials such as the Edexcel GCSE Anthology of Music in the "'Music in the 20th Century' section. The third movement, in particular, has been analysed and studied for its stylistic features, including its use of drones, ostinato loops, and phasing, which are characteristic of minimalism.
The piece has also been performed and recorded by other guitarists, including David Tanenbaum, whose version was released on New Albion Records in 1994, and Giacomo Baldelli, whose interpretation was featured on the album New York City Tracks by Halidon in 2022. Electric Counterpoint continues to be a significant work in the repertoire for guitarists and has been performed and recorded by various artists, demonstrating its enduring appeal and influence in the world of music.
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The third movement was also sampled by the Orb for their song Little Fluffy Clouds
Electric Counterpoint is a minimalist composition by the American composer Steve Reich. The piece consists of three movements: "Fast," "Slow," and "Fast". The third movement, "Fast", returns to the original tempo and key and introduces a new pattern in triple meter. After building up a four guitar canon, two bass guitars enter to further stress the triple meter. The soloist then introduces a new series of strummed chords that are built up in a three-guitar canon. When these are complete, the soloist returns to the melodic patterns that result from the overall counterpoint.
The Orb sampled the third movement of the Pat Metheny recording as one of the hooks for their song "Little Fluffy Clouds". The sample appears at 1:12 and throughout the song. The Orb's song was produced by Alex Paterson, Martin Glover, and Kris Weston. The Orb's use of the sample has been described as an "awesome use of the sample" and "one of my favourite samples".
The third movement of Electric Counterpoint has been influential beyond The Orb's "Little Fluffy Clouds". It was included in the Edexcel GCSE Anthology of Music in the second area of study, "Music in the 20th Century". It was also included in the video game Civilization V as one of the "great works of music". Röyksopp released two remixes of the third movement in 2010 for free, one of which follows Reich's original closely and another reinterpretation titled "Milde Salve".
The third movement was first recorded in 1987 by guitarist Pat Metheny, who made extensive use of overdubbing. Guitarists wishing to perform the piece may use Metheny's pre-recorded ensemble part or opt to record their own, adding the 13th guitar part in live performance.
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The third movement features a return to the original tempo and key, with a new pattern in triple meter
Electric Counterpoint is a minimalist composition by the American composer Steve Reich. The piece consists of three movements: "Fast," "Slow," and "Fast". The third movement, in the style of minimalism, features a return to the original tempo and key and introduces a new pattern in triple meter.
This movement begins by building up a four-guitar canon, after which two bass guitars enter abruptly to further emphasize the triple meter. The soloist then introduces a new series of strummed chords, which are built up in a three-guitar canon. As the movement progresses, the soloist returns to melodic patterns resulting from the overall counterpoint. At this point, the basses begin to alternate between E minor and C minor and between 3/2 and 12/8 time signatures, creating a dynamic and unpredictable rhythmic shift.
The third movement of Electric Counterpoint has been recognized and featured in various forms. It was included in the Edexcel GCSE Anthology of Music in the "'Music in the 20th Century' category, alongside pieces like Peripetie and Something's Coming. Additionally, it was featured in the video game Civilization V as one of the "great works of music."
The movement has also been sampled and reinterpreted by various artists. For example, the Orb used a sample of the third movement in their song "Little Fluffy Clouds," and Röyksopp released two remixes of the movement in 2010, one of which was a reinterpretation titled "Milde Salve." Jonny Greenwood, guitarist for Radiohead, has also performed the piece at festivals and concerts, recording it for an album of Reich's works in 2012.
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Frequently asked questions
There are three movements in Electric Counterpoint.
The three movements in Electric Counterpoint are "Fast," "Slow," and "Fast."
The third movement of Electric Counterpoint is in the style of minimalism.
