Instant Steve Reich Collection, Just Add Water (and a Negligible Amount of Cash)

It pains me to admit it but I have very little of Steve Reich's music in my CD collection...until now.

Die Frau and I were in one of the local Barnes and Noble stores this past weekend when this lovely box of wonderful music attracted my attention. This 5-disc set immediately got my attention because it's basically a "best of" collection (though you could probably include anything by the man in such a thing) and was astoundingly priced at $35.

This retrospective is absolutely fantastic and even includes the recent works You Are (Variations), premiered by Grant Gershon and the Los Angeles Master Chorale a few years back, which costs $20 all by itself. If that's not enough, you get basically all the seminal works of this most influential American musician. Music for 18 Musicians, Tehillim, Proverb, Different Trains, Eight Lines, Music for Mallet Instruments, Voices and Organ, and Drumming (and then some) are all included. The only drawback for me is a lack of extensive liner notes. But even that isn't a major concern because you can find all that online at the Boosey and Hawkes website.

Anyway, it's a great set. If you like Reich's music and don't have much or are just plain interested check it out. It's awesome.