Steve Reich Meets The Borromeo String Quartet!
Note: So far, this piece has been broadcast on the following public radio programs: New Hampshire Public Radio’s Word of Mouth, WDAV’s Artist Spotlight, Tapestry from 90.3 WBHM, in Birmingham, Alabama and KUAR, in Little Rock!
Steve Reich is perhaps the preeminent composer living today. And one of his most heart-wrenching and affecting works is called Different Trains for String Quartet and Tape. It tells the story of Steve Reich’s early childhood — his train trips between the East and West coasts to visit his separated parents — and also of the train trips Jews were forced to take during the Holocaust.
The piece, commissioned by the Kronos Quartet in 1988, is notoriously difficult to play. But the Borromeo String Quartet has recently taken up the challenge. ThoughtCast’s Jenny Attiyeh attended a rehearsal at the New England Conservatory, where the Borromeo is currently in residence.
Click here: 
to listen — (7 minutes) on ThoughtCast!
Click here: for a shorter version (4:30 mins.)
February 27th, 2008 at 1:52 am
Hello Jenny,
This is great!!
It was a pleasure to work together.
Nick
March 4th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
dear jenny,
thoughtcast.org is just wonderful…
thanks for the steve reich post.
all the best,
ralph li
April 13th, 2008 at 6:19 am
Dear Jenny
the Different Trains analysis was really excellent! Thank you very much!
I wish you all the best
Nancy
March 31st, 2011 at 4:33 am
[...] the final night of the festival this year as they performed the 1988 Steve Reich composition Different Trains, with video accompaniment by Herman Kolgen. The piece deals with the memory of Jewish people [...]