The Desert Music
The Desert Music is a cantata for voices and orchestra written from September 1982 to December 1983 by American minimalist composer Steve Reich, setting texts by William Carlos Williams. Its title is derived from Williams' poetry anthology, The Desert Music and Other Poems. The composition consists of five movements, with a duration of about 46 minutes. In both its arrangement of thematic material and use of tempi, the piece is in a characteristic arch form (ABCBA).
The Desert Music received its world premiere on March 17, 1984 in Cologne.
Movements
- Fast
- Moderate
- Part One: Slow
- Part Two: Moderate
- Part Three: Slow
- Moderate
- Fast