Reich

 Steve Reich

“Different Trains“

 This piece of music was packed with emotions. For me, this was out of all the pieces we listened to during the course the one that stuck with me. I don’t really know how to start. I have to say that I found it very hard to really grasp all of the emotions and to differentiate especially between the first and the second “train“ as the transitions were very seamless. However, I felt that the piece started off happy and light, maybe a bit hectic and I asked myself if I felt a glimpse of fear coming through. I was very thankful for the voices as they, in a way, guided me through the history and through the music piece first and foremost. I was wondering if the melody was composed around the voices and the sounds of the train of if it was the other way around. The voices themselves sounded very serious and sad, sometimes even fearful and in a way melodic: “one of the fastest trains“, “from Chicago to New York“, or “the war was over“. The voices were repeated and I felt like that made them more intimidating and kinda felt like a warning.

            When the piece continues to the second “train“ I felt that the melody gets more dramatic, more fearful, and impressive. Tension is built and it feels very dark to me. I even got goosebumps at some point. The train horns almost sounded like screams to me and I thought I recognized some sirens?

            The last part in a way sounded hopeful to me. However, there was a feeling of loss due to the voice that said: “there was a girl that had a beautiful voice“. I found interesting that the ending sounded like it was repeating the beginning of the piece with the same melody and the same voices. I was wondering what that should imply.

            I felt that there was a certain sadness to the whole piece.  I know that it is a political pice of music and I would argue that one is definitely able to feel and experience that.