Minimalism

Minimalist Music was born in the late 1960’s and can be associated with a group of American composers classified as “minimalists”. 



However, the origins of Minimalist music can be traced to the ‘total serialism’ music of Webern whose music was based on the mathematical control of the musical elements. 


Minimalist music consists of cells which are ‘looped’ at shifting time intervals. This creates a hypnotic quality to the music as the cells shift in and out of ‘phase’ with each other


This is a piece where you can clearly hear the phrases coming in and out in time with each other. It's a weird sound but it doesn't sound wrong. Its a piece by Steve Reich

This is an example in dance which illustrates the concept of minimalism very well.

Composers of Minimalism


Philip Glass: This piece is entitled Koyaanisqatsi

Steve Reich: This piece is called 'Different Trains'. The tape 
consists of vocal samples of Holocaust survivors depicting Jewish people being sent on ‘different trains’ to concentration camps. The string quartet in this piece emulate speech patterns and melodies. 

20th Century Classical Music

Serialism: Serialists used every single note in chromatic scale (every single note in an octave). They were played in any random order, an they only use each one once before they could use it again,this was called their 'serial'. Then they played it backwards(inverted).They then played it in a retrograde order (opposite distance of semitones from notes on opposite side. Played on any octave but still same note.Very Confusing!)


This is a piece by Schoenberg, as you can hear the clashing sounds this is a product of using the chromatic scale because it contains all the flats as well and they all have to be used.

Electronic music: This type of music was introduced in the first half of the twentieth century.There were first electronic keyboards, they were massive instruments. The Moog synth was one of the first electronic instruments. It was the first time music could be recorded and manipulated

Stockhausen was a composer who used electronic instruments in his pieces. Some of his pieces are very peculiar, especially Gesang Der junglinge. This uses the voices of young children and synthesised noises to create his piece.

                                          



Atonal music: Arnold Schoenberg introduced atonal music. 
 Twelve tone technique; the technique is a means of ensuring that all twelve notes of the chromatic scale are sounded and used as often as one another in a piece of music while preventing any emphasis of any note via tone rows (the serial of the notes). All notes are given no more or less importance therefore ensuring the music avoids being in a key.

Aleatoric music: Aleatoricism is the creation of art by chance, basically randomness to create music. There are no rules at all!

This piece is aleatoric and basically just sounds like its been put together randomly, which it has!

This is a piece of Karlheinz Stockhausen's, I really find it hilarious because of the way it's played, to see the piece played  and how it sounds, it seems incredibly deranged!

Romantic period

The Romantic Period spans roughly from 1820 to the 1900's. There were many new and exciting developements in techniques and forms.

Dissonance: This is the use of un-harmonious notes to create a clashing sound resulting in tension.

Virtuoso: A virtuoso is somebody who is so experienced and well trained in their specific iinstrument that they are often the only person that can play their own music. For example, in the Romantic Period Liszt was a virtuoso pianist and composer, often the only person in his time who could play his piano pieces.

Programme music: Instrumental music that interprets a story, depicts a scene or painting, or illustrates a literary or philosophical idea. The term was first used by Franz Liszt in the 19th century, when programme music was especially popular with composers of Romantic music .

Tone poems: A tone poem or symphonic poem is a piece of orchestral music in a single  movement in which the content of a poem, a story or novel, a painting, a landscape or another non-musical source is illustrated. The term was first applied by composer Franz Liszt. The symphonic poem is in some ways related to opera; whilst it does not use a sung text, it seeks, like opera, a union of music and drama.