Interview with Steve Reich, [1987, April]

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Data source:

Research Catalog

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Item data

Title

Interview with Steve Reich, [1987, April]

Collection

Merce Cunningham Video Archive

Names

Cunningham, Merce (Creator)
Reich, Steve, 1936- (Interviewee)
Caplan, Elliot (Film director)
Caplan, Elliot (Photographer)

Date / Origin

Date Created: 1987-04
Place: New York, NY.

Library Location

Jerome Robbins Dance Division
Shelf locator: *MGZIDF 5057

Subjects

Cage, John
Cunningham, Merce
Music -- 20th century
Composers -- United States
Modern dance

Genres

Interviews

Notes

Content: Title provided by cataloger, based on original container label.
Acquisition: Gift; Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation, 2011-2012.

Physical Description

Extent: 1 videocassette (Video8) (31 min) : sound, color ; 8mm

Abstract

An interview with composer Steve Reich regarding John Cage and Merce Cunningham. The material begins with closeups of Reichs piano, paper and audiovisual archive, and handwritten sheet music, as well as his playback machine. Reich begins by discussing his initial meeting with John Cage in the 1970s (3:15). He then speaks about Cages influence on his own work and his collaboration with Cage on a project (4:15). Reich then considers the use of repetition in both his work and Cages, which moves into discussion about his shifting attitude toward Cages pieces over time (10:20). A consideration of the use and influence of world oral traditions, classical music/composers and poetry in Reichs and Cages works follows (17:24). Reich concludes the interview by giving his thoughts on the collaboration between Cage and Merce Cunningham, as well as a collaborative project on which he was then working (25:00).

Languages

English

Identifiers

RLIN/OCLC: 950971836
NYPL Catalog ID (bnumber): b20970449
Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): 1a6f3240-2d5b-0137-4856-0394957421f3

Rights

This item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Type Of Resource

Moving Image

Cite this item

MLA format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. "Interview with Steve Reich, [1987, April]" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/1a6f3240-2d5b-0137-4856-0394957421f3

APA format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. Interview with Steve Reich, [1987, April] Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/1a6f3240-2d5b-0137-4856-0394957421f3

Chicago/Turabian Format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. "Interview with Steve Reich, [1987, April]" New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed December 11, 2025. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/1a6f3240-2d5b-0137-4856-0394957421f3

Wikipedia citation

<ref name=NYPL>{{cite web | url=https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/1a6f3240-2d5b-0137-4856-0394957421f3 | title= (moving image) Interview with Steve Reich, [1987, April] | author=Digital Collections, The New York Public Library | accessdate=December 11, 2025 | publisher=The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations}}</ref>