In 2003, Steve Reich wrote Cello Counterpoint for eight cellos which is meant to be performed by a single live cellist playing along with seven pre-recorded cellos. This innovation of expanding a soloist into a large ensemble through pre-recorded layers augments the sonic palette of a solo instrument while maintaining the simplicity and personality of an individual performer. Emily Cooley, Alex Weiser, and Fjóla Evans utilize this same idea with broader harmonic, gestural, and dramatic vocabularies. The resulting works celebrate Reich’s musical world while building on the foundation that it lays.
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