9.1 Minimalism and Process Music

Minimalism and process music revolutionized contemporary classical music in the 1960s. Composers like Steve Reich and Philip Glass used repetition, phasing, and gradual processes to create hypnotic soundscapes that challenged traditional notions of musical structure and development.

These innovative techniques drew inspiration from non-Western music, visual art, and avant-garde experimentalism. Minimalism's focus on simplicity and audible processes offered a stark contrast to the complexity of serialism, influencing countless composers and genres beyond classical music.

Minimalist Composers

Leading figures in minimalist music

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• Steve Reich pioneered phasing and process music techniques, influencing many other composers (Music for 18 Musicians, Piano Phase)
• Philip Glass known for his repetitive structures and additive processes in operas and ensemble works (Einstein on the Beach, Koyaanisqatsi)
• Terry Riley experimented with tape loops, jazz improvisation, and Indian classical music elements in minimalist works (In C, A Rainbow in Curved Air)
• La Monte Young explored sustained tones, just intonation tuning, and extended durations to create immersive drone music (The Well-Tuned Piano, Dream House)

Composers' backgrounds and influences

• Many studied with influential avant-garde composers like Karlheinz Stockhausen and Luciano Berio
• Drew inspiration from non-Western music, especially Indian classical music's rhythmic cycles and static harmonies
• Incorporated elements of jazz, electronic music, and performance art into their compositions
• Collaborated frequently with artists in other media like dance, film, and visual arts (Merce Cunningham, Robert Wilson)

Minimalist Techniques

Use of repetition

• Compositions often based on repeating short melodic, rhythmic, or harmonic patterns (cells, modules)
• Gradual transformation of repeated material through small variations over time
• Induces trance-like or meditative states in listeners
• Draws attention to subtle changes in texture, timbre, and acoustics

Phasing and additive processes

• Phasing involves playing identical lines at slightly different tempos, creating echo and canon effects as they go in and out of sync (Piano Phase, Violin Phase)
• Additive process pieces gradually lengthen a repeating phrase by adding notes with each repetition (Music for 18 Musicians)
• Subtractive processes remove notes in a similar fashion
• Creates a sense of slow evolution and continuously unfolding form

Other common techniques

• Drones and sustained tones used to anchor harmony
• Static harmony, slow harmonic rhythm, and circular chord progressions
• Steady pulse and motoric rhythms, often influenced by non-Western music
• Open and improvisatory forms (In C)
• Amplification and electronic instruments used to create immersive soundscapes

Minimalist Styles

Minimalism

• Broad term encompassing music based on simplified materials, repetition, and gradual process
• Emerged in the 1960s as a reaction against the complexity of serialism and indeterminacy
• Influenced by visual art minimalism, non-Western music, and avant-garde experimentalism
• Often features diatonic harmony, steady pulse, and audible structure
• Later works expanded in length and orchestration while maintaining minimalist aesthetics (Music for 18 Musicians, Einstein on the Beach)

Process music

• Music where the compositional process is audible in the finished work
• Processes often involve phasing, additive/subtractive techniques, and permutation of small cells
• Composer sets the process in motion and lets it unfold with minimal intervention
• Draws attention to the act of listening and perception of gradual change over time
• Key works include Reich's Piano Phase, Glass' Two Pages, and Adams' Phrygian Gates

Drone music

• Features sustained or repeated tones, notes, or chords called drones
• Drones often played continuously throughout a piece, acting as a harmonic and textural anchor
• Can induce feelings of stasis, timelessness, and altered perception
• Prominent in works by La Monte Young, Charlemagne Palestine, and Phill Niblock
• Influenced by Indian classical music, avant-garde experimentalism, and just intonation tuning
• Experienced in long-duration installations and performances (Dream House)