Introducton to Minimalism

Seminar List • Abstract • Preparation • Main Text

We will consider the following questions:

• What is minimalism?
• The origins of minimalism
• 'Holy' minimalism
• Minimalism and ambience
• The future of minimalism

"In general the forms of oral music do not match those of literate music in 'architectural' complexity, where multiple hierarchical embeddings can produce long, varied, yet integrated compositions. Rather, we find a preponderance of 'chain' structures where the same kind of short element is repeated, with variations, over and over again."

Principal Exponents

English

• Michael Nyman (b 1944)
• Steve Martland (b 1959)
• Graham Fitkin (b 1963)

Consider.

Prepare.

Grove article on Minimalism (APU campus only).

A term borrowed from the visual arts to describe a style of composition characterized by an intentionally simplified rhythmic, melodic and harmonic vocabulary.

Main text (not usually available until after the lecture).