Minimalism emerged as a distinct style in the late 1960s, with its roots in downtown New York and later spreading to Europe. The term was first applied to music by Michael Nyman in 1968.
How did other people react to the emergence of minimalism?
There have been several critics of minimalistic movement. Some people have said that minimalism is an aural sign that American audiences are primitive and uneducated. Others have said it is the passionless and emotionally blank soundtrack of the Machine Age, no more than an expression of human passivity in the face of mass-production and The Bomb (nuclear bomb). Someone people have even compared it to fascism and propaganda, where the constant repetition can be compared to Hitler's speeches.
Fun Facts
What are some interesting facts about Minimalism?
- The most minimalistic you can get in music is 4' 3'', unless you can somehow making nothing even more nothing
- There is a lot of variety in minimalistic music as there are so many ways to achieve the "minimal" use of things
Definition
How is minimalism achieved in music?
There are many different ways to make music minimalistic. Some features include:
- An ostinato pattern made with a broken chord
- Slow/few harmonic changes
- Slow/few melodic changes
- Phase shifts
- Accent shifts
- Slow rhythmic transformation
- Gradual texture and dynamic changes
- Few/no notes (4' 3'')
What is minimalism?
Minimalism is a compositional practice where composers uses very minimal musical materials. Many of the things listed below are ways composers make their music minimalistic.
Famous Composers
Who are some famous composers that use minimalism in their music?
- La Monte Young
- Terry Riley
- Steve Reich
- Philip Glass
- John Adams
- Michael Nyman
- Joe Hisaishi
- Alexina Louie
- Meredith Monk
- John Cage
Which composers started the minimalism style?
The four most notable composers that are typically labelled the "vanguard" of minimalism in music are La Monte Young (b. 1935), Terry Riley (b. 1935), Steve Reich (b. 1936), and Philip Glass (b. 1937).
Related Genres
What other related genres are there to Minimalism?
- Postminimalism
- Holy minimalism
- Experimental music
- Krautrock
- Noise rock
- Minimal Techno
Examples in Music
What are some pieces that are minimalistic?
La Monte Young's Trio for Strings (1958)
John Adams' Shaker Loops (1982)
Alexina Louie's Changes (1982)
Meredith Monk's Ellis Island (1981)
John Adams's Short Ride in a Fast Machine (1986)
Origins
How did minimalism develop?
The original minimalist movement was not restricted to just music. It could be seen in all sorts of places, like architecture, visual arts, film, etc. Minimalism came to music with the compositions of the 4 "vanguard" composers listed in the famous composers section. They decided to create music with more simple elements, and eventually more people decided to compose this way.
The key predecessor of minimalism are the work of several avant-garde composers. The ultimate minimalistic piece can been seen in John Cage's 4'3'', because the music is as minimal as can be (there is no sound).
Where, and around what year did minimalism become a style?
The term minimalism was first used to describe music in 1968 by Michael Nyman. It originated in downtown New York, and spread to other places like Europe.
Influence
What influence did minimalism have on later genres?
Lots of different genres of popular music have minimalistic influences, such as minimal techno, krautrock, noise rock.
