Music History
Minimalism
1960s and 1970s
Minimalism
Music written using a very small amount of
material that is actually used by the composers.
Characterized by:
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Repetitive figures
Static harmonies
Precise intonation
Began by La Monte Young (b. 1934)
Influenced by John Cage, African, Indian and
Balinese music and the want to steer clear of a
specific form
Also called: “trance music”, “pulse music”, “process
music”, or “systemic music”
Steve Reich
(b. 1936)
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One of the leading composers of
minimalism
Studied jazz and drumming, African
music and Balinese gamelan music.
Began to work with tape loops and
became captivated by the possibilities of
repetition and phase shifting.
These repetitive figures and patterns led
him to minimalism and a considerably
reduced harmonic vocabulary.
1970s brought Reich back to writing
melodic material and abandoned
electronic music to write for conventional
instruments.
Clapping Music - 1972
Steve Reich
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Reich wanted to “create a piece of music that
needed no instruments beyond the human body”.
One performer claps a basic rhythm of 12 eighth
notes in length for the entire piece.
The other claps the same pattern, but every 12 bars
he ‘misses’ the 12th eighth note, so that she or he
shifts over by a quaver changing the rhythm and
how it fits with the first performer’s “base” rhythm.
The two performers continue this until the second
performer has shifted 12 eighth notes and is hence
playing the pattern in unison with the first performer
again (as at the beginning), some 144 bars later.
“Come Out” (1966)
Steve Reich
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“I had to open the bruise up and let some of the
bruise blood come out to show them” Daniel Hamm
Reich found this brief sentence from 10 hours of
taped interviews.
He was searching for speech melody.
Uses phase shifting, in which Tape 1 and Tape 2:
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Both tapes contain the same material, and to begin they
are set up to be played in unison
Tape 2 is gradually moved out of phase, so that it falls
farther and farther behind Tape 1
13:10 minutes long
Philip Glass
(b. 1937)
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Born in Maryland, USA and studied analysis in Paris
Traveled to India and was greatly influenced by the music is
experienced there.
Expanded basic melodic units through additive rhythmic process
– Add and Repeat. He lengthens or shortens it by the addition or
deletion of a rhythmic unit.
His pieces tend to be harmonically static because of his use of
parallel motion.
Wrote operas, solo pieces, chamber works, symphonies,
orchestral works, vocal pieces, and music for dance, film and
theatre.
Violin Concerto – 2nd movement
Philip Glass
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Composition took 4 months to finish and premiered
in 1987
Written in a neo-Baroque style
It is a three movement structure written in the key of
C minor and D
Very dramatic and creates tension with its active
rhythms
2nd movement is actually supposed to be the ‘slow’
movement, however the busy rhythms have
changed that
8:32 minutes long
Terry Riley
(b. 1935)
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Born in California, USA
Studied in India and traveled throughout Europe, taking his
musical ideas from his experiences
“All Night Concerts” which improved his improvisational
techniques. These performances included him, a vacuum
cleaner and a saxophone tape.
Riley’s use of the ostinato stems from his ability to improvise
The work called “In C” is one of the best known minimalist
works.
“In C” (1964)
Terry Riley
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Improvises on melodic figures of various lengths
The piano part is not notated, but is required to play
octave quavers on the two top Cs of the keyboard,
creating a background for the other players.
The rest of the ensemble has 53 motives to play
consecutively in sync with the Cs of the keyboard.
The player decides when to move, how long to play
the motive, and how many times to repeat. And are
encouraged to drop out and listen occasionally.
Performances usually last anywhere from 45 to 90
minutes.
Important Terms
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Add and Repeat - expansion of musical ideas
through the addition and repetition of rhythms or
melodic material.
Minimalism - a style of music that is created
through the simplification of rhythms, patterns and
harmonies creating a ‘trance-like’ effect.
Ostinato - a repeated musical pattern; rhythmic, a
portion of a tune or a complete melody.
Phase Shifting - placing parts out of
synchronization
Parallel motion - harmonic direction of a musical
passage in which the voice of two parts progresses
with the interval remaining the same. Usually found
with octaves and fifths.