STEVE REICH Drumming | Deutsche Grammophon

To mark Steve Reich’s 90th birthday in October, DG announces the reissue of the composer’s landmark 1974 recording of Drumming in its original three-LP format as part of the acclaimed Original Source Series.  

Recorded in Hamburg’s Polydor Studios in January 1974, the original release marked a defining moment in Reich’s career. Alongside the premiere recording of the complete 85-minute version of Drumming, the set includes Six Pianos and Music for Mallet Instruments, Voices and Organ, performed by members of the Steve Reich Ensemble and the composer himself. 

Presented with the original artwork in a numbered, limited-edition lift-off box, the release also includes a 32-page booklet featuring session photographs, facsimiles of the original recording logs, the composer’s original liner notes and a new essay by David Butchart on the history of the recording. An additional certificate contains a specially commissioned text by Rainer Maillard examining the original tape sources and the analogue mastering process behind this Original Source edition. 

The audiophile vinyl series The Original Source presents outstanding recordings in an entirely new level of sound quality. For this purpose, the renowned Emil Berliner Studios have remastered and cut the original multi-track tapes in 100% analog quality (AAA), using technologies specially developed for the production of this series. The sonic differences compared to the original releases are substantial: greater clarity, more detail, and improvements across the frequency range, combined with reduced background noise, distortion, and compression, create an audiophile listening experience like never before.  

This edition will be released on 2 October and is now available for exclusive pre-order in the DG Store.