Last week we reported on the undoubtedly ominous news that Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood and Polish avant-garde composer Krzysztof Penderecki are releasing a collaborative album in March. What we didn’t report is that the reciprocal love between Radiohead/Jonny Greenwood and experimental composers apparently extends far beyond Eastern Europe, and is likely more enduring than many of the relationships set to be celebrated on that most contrived of holidays next week. Giving further credence to this, the venerable maestro of minimal Steve Reich is working on a piece based on the Radiohead songs “Everything in Its Right Place” and “Jigsaw Falling into Place.” If you’re traditional enough to still buy physical calendars, it’s probably best that you mark it, because you likely won’t remember this article when the time comes: the piece isn’t set to be revealed until March 5, 2013, and will be performed by 13 musicians from the London Sinfonietta.
According to The Guardian, Reich and the members of Radiohead reportedly met and spoke at length during a festival in Poland last September. Commenting on their mutual appreciation for one another, Andrew Burke, chief executive of the London Sinfonietta, says this, referring to Reich: “It was the first time he’d met them as musicians and spoken to them at length. Jonny Greenwood played [Reich composition] Electric Counterpoint – Steve saw this guy was seriously interested in his music and Steve became seriously interested in theirs.” And the rest, as they say, is history. Well, not really. We’ve still got about a year to go. Then it’s history.
• Steve Reich: http://www.stevereich.com
• London Sinfonietta: http://www.londonsinfonietta.org.uk
