🎶Experimental Music Unit 6 – Minimalism: Reich and Glass in Process Music

Key Concepts in Minimalism

• Minimalism emerged as a reaction against the complexity and perceived excesses of serialism and indeterminacy in the 1960s
• Emphasizes simplicity, repetition, and gradual process-based transformations of musical material
• Employs limited sets of pitches, rhythms, and timbres to create hypnotic and immersive soundscapes
• Draws influence from non-Western musical traditions (Balinese gamelan, African drumming) and avant-garde composers (La Monte Young, Terry Riley)
• Explores the psychoacoustic effects of subtle variations and phase shifting within repeated patterns
• Challenges traditional notions of musical form, development, and expressivity
• Minimalist works often have an open, modular structure that allows for extended durations and performer interpretation
• Embraces technology and unconventional instrumentation (electronic keyboards, amplified instruments, tape loops) to create distinctive timbres and textures

Historical Context and Origins

• Minimalism developed in the United States during the 1960s and early 1970s, coinciding with broader cultural shifts and artistic movements
• Influenced by the visual arts, particularly the minimalist sculptures of Donald Judd and Robert Morris, which emphasized simple geometric forms and industrial materials
• Emerged alongside other experimental music practices (Fluxus, happenings, conceptual art) that challenged conventional boundaries between art forms
• Reflected a growing interest in Eastern philosophy, meditation, and altered states of consciousness among Western artists and intellectuals
• Pioneered by composers such as La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass, who sought to create a new musical language based on simplicity and gradual change
• Early minimalist works often involved extended durations, static harmonies, and unconventional performance settings (lofts, galleries, outdoor spaces)
• Minimalism gained wider recognition and acceptance in the 1970s through high-profile performances and recordings by ensembles such as the Philip Glass Ensemble and Steve Reich and Musicians

Characteristics of Process Music

• Process music is a central aspect of minimalism that focuses on the gradual unfolding and transformation of musical material over time
• Compositions are often based on a single, clearly defined process or algorithm that determines the structure and development of the piece
• Processes may involve additive or subtractive procedures, phase shifting, rhythmic augmentation or diminution, and gradual changes in pitch, timbre, or dynamics
• The process itself becomes the main focus of the music, rather than traditional elements such as melody, harmony, or thematic development
• Performers are often given a set of instructions or rules to follow, rather than a fully notated score, allowing for some degree of interpretive freedom within the prescribed process
• Process music creates a sense of continuous, organic evolution and can induce a meditative or trance-like state in listeners
• Examples of process-based works include Steve Reich's "Piano Phase" (1967) and "Drumming" (1971), and Philip Glass's "Music in Fifths" (1969) and "Music with Changing Parts" (1970)

Steve Reich: Techniques and Works

• Steve Reich (b. 1936) is a pioneering American composer known for his innovative use of phasing, tape loops, and speech samples in his minimalist works
• Developed the technique of phasing, in which two or more identical musical patterns gradually shift out of sync with each other, creating complex polyrhythms and textures
• Early works such as "It's Gonna Rain" (1965) and "Come Out" (1966) used tape loops of recorded speech to create haunting, politically charged soundscapes
• "Piano Phase" (1967) and "Violin Phase" (1967) applied the phasing technique to live instrumental performance, requiring precise coordination and concentration from the performers
• "Drumming" (1971) is a large-scale work for percussion, female voices, and piccolo that explores African rhythms and timbres over a continuous 90-minute span
• Later works such as "Music for 18 Musicians" (1976) and "Different Trains" (1988) incorporate more complex harmonies, larger ensembles, and themes of personal and historical significance
  • "Music for 18 Musicians" features a cycle of 11 chords that gradually evolve and interlock over a mesmerizing hour-long performance
  • "Different Trains" uses recorded speech samples, string quartet, and pre-recorded tape to evoke Reich's childhood train journeys and the Holocaust

Philip Glass: Style and Compositions

• Philip Glass (b. 1937) is an American composer known for his distinctive minimalist style, characterized by repetitive arpeggios, additive rhythms, and slowly evolving harmonic progressions
• Early works such as "Music in Fifths" (1969) and "Music in Similar Motion" (1969) employ simple, repetitive patterns played on electronic organs and wind instruments
• "Music with Changing Parts" (1970) introduces the concept of gradual substitution, in which musical modules are slowly replaced by new material over an extended duration
• "Einstein on the Beach" (1976), a groundbreaking opera collaboration with director Robert Wilson, features a non-narrative structure, abstract staging, and hypnotic musical passages
• "Satyagraha" (1979) and "Akhnaten" (1983) form a trilogy of operas based on the lives of historical figures (Mahatma Gandhi, Pharaoh Akhenaten) and explore themes of social and spiritual transformation
• Later works such as "Glassworks" (1982) and "Violin Concerto No. 1" (1987) incorporate more lyrical melodies, richer orchestration, and influences from world music and film scores
• Glass's music has been widely used in films (Koyaanisqatsi, The Hours) and has helped to popularize minimalism among mainstream audiences

Influence on Contemporary Music

• Minimalism has had a profound impact on various genres of contemporary music, from classical and experimental to electronic and rock
• Composers such as John Adams, Michael Nyman, and Arvo Pärt have incorporated minimalist techniques and aesthetics into their own distinctive styles
• Minimalist principles of repetition, gradual change, and timbral exploration have been adopted by electronic and ambient artists such as Brian Eno, Aphex Twin, and Max Richter
• Rock and pop musicians, including David Bowie, Brian Eno, and Radiohead, have drawn inspiration from minimalist composers and incorporated repetitive, hypnotic elements into their songs
• Film scores and soundtracks have increasingly employed minimalist techniques to create immersive, atmospheric accompaniments to visual narratives
• Minimalism has also influenced the development of post-minimalist and totalist music, which expands upon minimalist principles while incorporating a wider range of influences and expressive possibilities
• Contemporary classical ensembles and festivals, such as the Bang on a Can All-Stars and the Minimalist Jukebox series, have helped to promote and celebrate the ongoing legacy of minimalist music

Listening Guide and Analysis

• When listening to minimalist works, focus on the gradual unfolding and transformation of musical material over time, rather than expecting traditional forms of thematic development or dramatic contrast
• Pay attention to the subtle variations and phase relationships between repeated patterns, and how they create complex polyrhythms, textures, and psychoacoustic effects
• Listen for the distinctive timbres and instrumental combinations employed by minimalist composers, such as the amplified keyboards, mallet percussion, and vocal techniques used by Reich and Glass
• Consider how the use of limited pitch sets, static harmonies, and extended durations contributes to the meditative, immersive quality of minimalist music
• Analyze the underlying processes or algorithms that shape the structure and development of the piece, such as phasing, additive rhythms, or gradual substitution
• Reflect on the emotional and psychological impact of minimalist music, and how it may induce states of heightened awareness, introspection, or transcendence in the listener
• Compare and contrast the approaches of different minimalist composers, such as the speech-based works of Reich versus the repetitive arpeggios of Glass, or the electronic timbres of early minimalism versus the acoustic ensembles of later works

Critiques and Controversies

• Minimalism has faced criticism from some quarters for its perceived simplicity, repetitiveness, and lack of emotional depth or expressive range
• Some critics have dismissed minimalist works as "banal," "monotonous," or "intellectually vapid," arguing that they rely on gimmicks or surface effects rather than substantial musical content
• Others have questioned the cultural appropriation and exoticization of non-Western musical traditions by minimalist composers, particularly in works that draw upon African or Asian influences without proper context or acknowledgment
• The commercial success and mainstream popularity of some minimalist composers, such as Philip Glass, have led to accusations of "selling out" or compromising artistic integrity for the sake of accessibility or marketability
• The use of minimalist music in films, advertisements, and other commercial contexts has been criticized as a form of aesthetic co-optation or trivialization, diluting the original subversive or experimental intent of the music
• Debates have arisen over the authorship and ownership of minimalist works, particularly in cases where the music is based on collaborative, improvisatory, or process-driven approaches that challenge traditional notions of composition and performance
• Despite these critiques and controversies, minimalism remains a vital and influential force in contemporary music, with a lasting impact on a wide range of genres and artistic practices