The Red Wheelbarrow William Carlos Williams.

So much depends upon a red wheel barrow glazed with rain water beside the white chickens

MINIMALISM
Learning Objectives

Perform a minimalist piece Describe and explain the main features of minimalism Understand and apply minimalist techniques in performance and composition Develop an awareness of minimalist style and philosophy

Task 1

Listen to/perform Composition 1960 #7 by Lamont Young.

To be held for a long time

KEY FEATURES

Reduced style e.g. no dynamics,constant tempo Repetition ideas repeated several times Tonal harmonies Steady pulse Gradually unfolds over a long period of time Phasing Altered time frame pieces quite long. Some use of extended instrumental techniques.

Examples of Minimalist Work

Chorale for Howard Skempton by Laurence Crane. Compare to Roger Redgates New complexity piece. http://incalcando.com/mp3/CR_RR.mp3

Key composers
Monte Young Believed a single sound can be interesting in its own right. Listen to a performance of Composition 1960#7 (see handout) Is it possible to get more minimal than this? Yes 433 by John Cage
La

Terry Riley

Heavily influenced by La Monte Young Composed using cells short musical ideas. It was up to the performers to decide how often to repeat the ideas see In C handout Class to perform a simplified version of In C

Key composers

Steve Reich composed using phasing (see clapping music) Result was a complicated multi rhythmic texture based on repetition and slow change
Reichs influence can be heard in all modern electronic music such as techno and hip hop Listen Drumming X. When do you think this version was recorded?

Key Composers

Michael Nyman Produced scores for several films including The Piano Coined the term minimalism

How Can I use minimalism in my compositions?

Try using phasing with a 4 note melody Try repeating phrases at different beats e.g repeat phrase on second beat of bar instead of 1st. Try using minimalism as a contrasting section in your compositions a sudden change from a full arrangement to a minimal one can be very effective.

Plenary What we have learned

Key features of minimalism. Key composers. How phasing works. How composers use cells in minimalist composition. New ways of thinking about performance and scoring. Ways of extending melodic ideas.