Steve Reich world premiere in London

March 2013 sees Steve Reich in London for the world premiere of his new work Radio Rewrite. Inspired by Radiohead tracks Everything in its Right Place and Jigsaw Falling into Place the new 20 minute work is scored for paired winds, vibes and pianos, string quartet and electric bass and will be premiered in the UK by the London Sinfonietta who co-commissioned the work with Alarm Will Sound.

Steve Reich has said of the piece’s relationship with the Radiohead songs:

“It was not my intention to make anything like ‘variations’ on these songs, but rather to draw on their harmonies and sometimes melodic fragments and work them into my own piece. This is what I have done. As to actually hearing the original songs, the truth is -  sometimes you hear them and sometimes you don’t.”

The world premiere takes place at a sold-out Royal Festival Hall on Tuesday 5 March, in a programme that includes Electric Counterpoint, 2 x 5, Pullitzer Prize-winning work Double Sextet and Clapping Music performed by the composer himself. There are further performances at Town Hall Birmingham (March 6), Brighton Dome (March 7) and at Glasgow Royal Concert Halls (March 9) who also feature Drumming by the Colin Currie Group and a public talk with the composer on March 10 as part of a larger feature of Steve Reich’s work.

An in-depth interview with Steve Reich by Alexis Petridis is now available on the Guardian website here