(Thanks for all the private "ha's" on the Schoenberg  "Moses..." review)

In the old days I used to pick up albums featuring the music of composeres
I had never heard previously, only because Ormandy and the Philadelphia
Orchestra were performing the works.

Being very pleased with Ensemble Modern's performances of Schoenberg's
"Pierrot," and "Chamber Symphony", and Adam's "Shaker Loops"; I just picked
up Reich's "Music for 18 Musicians."

Pretty.  EM plays with the usual dedication and impeccable musicianship.

Does this 60+ min piece work for me? Well, maybe if I were playing along.
Can one take the *ritual* (read:  participatory/improvisational) character
of (the rest of the)World Music, where performer and audience are one, and
place it in the Concert Hall, where performer and audience are two? Can
"Music for 18..." sustain the interest of the vicarious listener who must
sit with hands clasped and mouth closed? No me, (not yet, anyway).

John Adams this music is not.  Those who don't like minimalism without
ever having heard it should try Adam's "Harmonielihre." It has some of the
characteristics of minimalism presented over the kind of harmonic base that
those reared on Ravel or Rachmaninoff will find very gratifying.

John Smyth