Dr. Stephen Gorbos

In this seminar we will be studying the music of American composer Steve Reich. We will develop a familiarity with the analytical literature around Reich’s music, touching on topics including but not limited to: form and structure, rhythmic theory, racism, historicity, critical theory, technology, religiosity, Jewishness, and minimalist and postminimalist aesethetics (in dialogue between music and visual arts). The semester will follow a roughly chronological path through Reich’s work, with an emphasis on early works leading up through Tehillim, and ending with some of his most recent music. Your work this semester will culminate in a 15- to 20-page seminar paper on some aspect of Reich’s music.