These pioneer recordings have been unobtainable for several years, and they make a welcome addition to the CD catalogue. No collector of Reich will want to be without Six Pianos and Music for mallet instruments, voices and organ, two sharply contrasted scores both composed in 1973. Since no alternative recording exists for either of them, the DG set must be judged indispensable; but it would be over-generous to describe it as anything more than a useful stop-gap. The sheer unreality of the piano sonority in Six Pianos, a harsh jangling quality that denies the music its true depth and variety, is far from perfect, and one longs for a new version. Music for mallet instruments—to my mind Reich's most exquisite work—fares better, but even so there are problems with balance, and the timbre is less sumptuous than in live performances. It too deserves something better.
With Drumming we do now have a choice, for Steve Reich and Musicians have recently rerecorded the work for the Nonesuch/WEA label. In almost every respect the new version is preferable: it is more compact, taking up fewer of the repeat options; it fits on to a single CD where the DG recording spills over two; and it is more closely recorded and judiciously balanced. Those who are searching for Drumming alone need not hesitate in their selection. But with Six Pianos and Music for mallet instruments as fillers, the 1974 DG set remains a tempting proposition, and anyone who opts for it will certainly find plenty to admire and enjoy in what is still an acceptable and at times thrilling performance of Drumming.'