True or False: Steve Reich's Clapping Music is composed of layers of orchestra music.

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The statement to evaluate is: 'True or False: Steve Reich's Clapping Music is composed of layers of orchestra music.'

Option 1: True. This claim is inaccurate because Clapping Music is not written for an orchestra or for layered orchestral textures. The piece was conceived specifically for two performers who clap in interlocking rhythmic patterns, emphasizing timing, phase shifting, and human-performed claps rather than orchestral instrumentation or multi-layered instrumental sections.

Option 2: False. This assertion aligns with the actual nature of the work. Clapping Music features two performers, a minimalist structure, and the interaction of two identical rhythmic lines that gradually phase apart. There is no orchestral scoring or layering of orchestral parts; the sounds are produced by hands clapping, highlighting rhythm and process rather than traditional orchestral timbres.

Additional nuance: The piece is often highlighted as a landmark in minimalist music for its use of phase technique and live timing interplay between just two performers, making the 'layers of orchestra' framing inappropriate for its sonic conception. In contrast, many classical or orchestral works rely on multiple musicians and shuffled timbres to create layered textures, which Clapping Music intentionally avoids by design.

ARTEDUC 1600 AU2025 (15358) Lecture Quiz 7

True or False: Steve Reich's Clapping Music is composed of layers of orchestra music.

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