Which is the Odd One Out?
Minimalism

Classical
Serialism

Experimentalism

Expressionism

Impressionism
Isms
What genre of Art could this be
from?
What is minimalist music about?
A lot of minimalist music explains a
scene or story that is in the composers
mind.
What do you think this music is trying
to show?
Minimalism Builds Music Out of Loops
1960’s / 1970’s
Started in America
Made out of loops of motifs
Very simple tunes are composed, and
enter the piece, repeat, change, and
then exit the music
Build up of layers of each tune makes
the music sound very complicated,
although each part is actually very easy
and repetitive
Minimalism
When you first start to listen to
MINIMALISM music it sounds like
it hardly changes at all, but as you
get used to it and ‘tune in’ you’ll
start to notice the tiny changes to
the repeated loops. People often
describe MINIMALIST music as
having ‘hypnotic’ quality
Famous Minimalist Composers
Steve Reich
Philip Glass
Terry Riley
Michael Nyman
Main Techniques: Additive Melody
NOTES ARE GRADUALLY ADDED OR TAKEN AWAY
One note is added on each repetition of the pattern. A note could
also be replaced with a rest, or a rest with a note on each
repetition.
Main Techniques: Metamorphosis
A long word for – CHANGING -
Tiny changes to one note, or one bit of the rhythm, are made up in
each repetition. Often the changes go full circle, so the pattern
ends up the same or nearly the same as it was at the start.
Main Techniques: Phase Shifting
Moving out of sync and gradually back in
2 or more performers start with the same pattern.
On each repeat, a note or rest is added or taken
away from one of the parts. This changes the length
of the pattern in the different parts.
Main Techniques: Layering
Patterns move apart then come back together
You play the loops of different lengths, e.g. A 4-beat
loop and a 5-beat loop at the same time. You get a
similar effect to Phase Shifting
The Technological Part
 Composers can use
software like Cubase to
help them compose
minimalist music.
 Its very easy to make
minimalist music on
Cubase – you can copy
and paste tracks, so
that it is repetitive – a
very important feature
of Minimalism!
Minimalism from around the World
Minimalism takes ideas
from lots of other
styles of music. For
example, the crossed
rhythms from African
drumming is used.
In India, the tala
(percussion) rhythm is
always repeated, or
looped. We use this a
lot in minimalist music.
In Indonesian gamelan,
the pieces are very
spiritual and hypnotic –
these ideas are also used
in minimalist music.
Gamelan also uses lots of
layering of different
percussion instruments –
it is very repetitive, and
each instrument is
layered on top of each
other.
New style of music!
 Composers around 1900 were keen to do
something different, and wanted to take
ideas from other things
 They would look at something like a piece of
art, a poem, a dance, or another piece of
music, and take their first impression of it to
compose their music. What do you think this
style of music is called?
 IMPRESSIONISM!
Impressionism
Impressionism art was about brush
strokes and the way light affected
the picture
It was the ‘first impressions’ of a
view, before the light changed
Impressionist music are the first
impressions of a piece of art.
Impressionist composers would find a
piece of art, or a poem, or another
piece of music, and take ideas from it
They would use inspiration from this
item, whether it was art, or just the
weather on a day, to create their
piece of music
Most famous composers
Claude Debussy
Maurice Ravel
Debussy
 Debussy used lots of imagery (pictures and
art) to base his music on
 In 1900’s, Paris World Fair meant that lots
of artists and musicians came to Paris to
show their work, where others could gain
inspiration.
 His piano piece Pagodes was inspired by the
Javanese Gamelan and their dancers he
watched at the Paris World Fair.
Listen to this piece of music
Is it minimalist or impressionist music
and why?
Impressionist
 You will hear a piece by Debussy. Write down as
much as you can about the piece, using the
musical elements, and the features of
impressionism you have learnt today.
 What instruments can you hear?
 How fast or slow?
 What emotions does it give you? How does it
make you feel?
 Does it have a thick or a thin texture?
 How does it use silence?
Claire De Lune (moonlight)
Your soul is the choicest of countries
where charming maskers, masked shepherdesses,
go playing their lutes and dancing, yet gently
sad beneath their fantastic disguises.
While they sing in a minor key
of all-conquering love and careless fortune,
they don’t seem to trust in their own fantasy
and their song melts away in the light of the moon,
in the quiet moonlight, lovely and sad,
that makes the birds dream in the trees, all
the tall water-jets sob with ecstasies,
the slender water-jets rising from marble.
Your task today:
You will be composing a piece of music,
either minimalist or impressionist.
Choose a partner to work with.
If you are doing a minimalist
composition, you need to make up a
scene for your composition e.g. school at
lunchtime, a busy waiting room, a bus
station etc..
If you are doing an impressionist
composition, you can use a piece of art
or poem to create your music. You can
work individually with an Impressionist
composition if you wish.
The best compositions will…
Use texture to build up the music, and
take it away
Use sounds that fit the emotions and
thoughts you are trying to show
Has a strong tune
Fit your ism, and your piece of art or poem
you have chosen.
1. He was a famous American composer
2. He composed music that was very
repetitive, and sounded complicated
3. His name starts with a G….
GLASS!
Quiz – Teacher vs. Class
1. He was a famous composer from Paris
2. He composed from his impressions of
music
3. His name starts with a D……
DEBUSSY!
What are these isms?
ROMANTICISM
IMPRESSIONISM
SERIALISM
MINIMALISM
What can you remember about
Impressionism?
Composer?
Debussy, Ravel
What does Impressionism mean?
‘First Impressions’ of a piece of art or a poem, etc.
What pieces did we listen to last week?
Pagodes, inspired by Gamelan
Clair De Lune, inspired by a poem