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The Desert Music
The Desert Music

Steve Reich’s Desert Music

Het Muziek, Nederlands Kamerkoor, HIIIT, Ensemble Klang + New European Ensemble
Sat 3 Oct 2026 20:15 - 22:00
Sat 3 Oct 2026
20:15 - 22:00
  • Sat 3 Oct 2026
    20:15 - 22:00
    Grote Zaal
    From Tue 31 Mar 2026 12:00

Program

Steve Reich The Desert Music

Credits

Het Muziek 
Nederlands Kamerkoor 
HIIIT 
Ensemble Klang 
New European Ensemble 
Joost Geevers conductor

Monumental cantata by grand ensemble

This masterpiece is rarely heard live. But tonight, Het Muziek joins forces with the Nederlands Kamerkoor, HIIIT, New European Ensemble, and Ensemble Klang to present a joint performance of this monumental cantata for choir and orchestra. The Desert Music by Steve Reich, who celebrates his birthday today, is an impressive work that unites poetry and urgency. The title and lyrics come from writer William Carlos Williams, whose words Reich brought together into one vast, breathing soundscape.

Beneath the surface of that soundscape lies a deeper meaning: Reich deliberately chose texts from the period following Hiroshima and Nagasaki – a time when ‘the bomb’ cast a long shadow over the world. The music reflects this tension: humans have the power to realize their ambitions, but they are also confronted with a moral dilemma. The desert of the title remains ambiguous: is it a physical place, an inner void, or a vision of the future?

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Steve Reich
Steve Reich
Zoom in Het Muziek (©Tom Ten Seldam)
Het Muziek (©Tom Ten Seldam)
Zoom in New European Ensemble (©Rob Overmeer)
New European Ensemble (©Rob Overmeer)
Zoom in Steve Reich
Steve Reich
Zoom in HIIIT
HIIIT
Zoom in Nederlands Kamerkoor (© Mark Stokmans)
Nederlands Kamerkoor (© Mark Stokmans)
Zoom in Ensemble Klang (©Michel Mees)
Ensemble Klang (©Michel Mees)
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Context

Playlist of the season 26-27

We help you choose between our concerts! Listen to our playlist as a taster of what can be heard live at our venue this season.

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