Born in 1936, Steve Reich is one of the most significant American composers of the 20th century. Manfred Waffender’s major documentary traces the background to the creation of City Life. Reich masterfully captures sounds from New York City street life with the aid of two sampling keyboards and microphone, forging the noise of the city street into a work for string quartet, wind, percussion and two pianos. The film culminates in a performance of the piece from the Frankfurt Opera House, with the Ensemble Modern conducted by Sian Edwards.
