<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minimal music</span>

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: "Minimal music" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR  (January 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

This article possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed.  (January 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Minimal music

<p><b>Minimal music</b> (also called <b>minimalism</b>)<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-However_1994_2-0"><a href="#cite_note-However_1994-2" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 2;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[2]</span></a></span><span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-3"><a href="#cite_note-3" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 3;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[3]</span></a></span> is a form of <a href="/en/Art_music" title="Art music" class="wl">art music</a> or other compositional practice that employs limited or minimal musical materials. Prominent features of minimalist music include <a href="/en/Repetition_(music)" title="Repetition (music)" class="wl">repetitive</a> patterns or <a href="/en/Pulse_(music)" title="Pulse (music)" class="wl">pulses</a>, steady <a href="/en/Drone_(music)" title="Drone (music)" class="wl">drones</a>, <a href="/en/Consonance_and_dissonance" title="Consonance and dissonance" class="wl">consonant harmony</a>, and reiteration of musical <a href="/en/Phrase_(music)" title="Phrase (music)" class="wl">phrases</a> or smaller units. It may include features such as <a href="/en/Phase_shift" title="Phase shift" class="mw-redirect wl">phase shifting</a>, resulting in what is termed <a href="/en/Phase_music" title="Phase music" class="wl">phase music</a>, or process techniques that follow strict rules, usually described as <a href="/en/Process_music" title="Process music" class="wl">process music</a>. The approach is marked by a non-narrative, non-<a href="/en/Teleology" title="Teleology" class="wl">teleological</a>, and non-<a href="/en/Representation_(arts)" title="Representation (arts)" class="wl">representational</a> approach, and calls attention to the activity of <a href="/en/Listening" title="Listening" class="wl">listening</a> by focusing on the internal processes of the music.<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-4"><a href="#cite_note-4" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 4;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[4]</span></a></span></p>

<div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none" about="#mwt1">Music using limited or minimal materials</div>
<style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1097763485" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles mw:Transclusion">.mw-parser-output .ambox{border:1px solid #a2a9b1;border-left:10px solid #36c;background-color:#fbfbfb;box-sizing:border-box}.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+link+.ambox{margin-top:-1px}html body.mediawiki .mw-parser-output .ambox.mbox-small-left{margin:4px 1em 4px 0;overflow:hidden;width:238px;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em}.mw-parser-output .ambox-speedy{border-left:10px solid #b32424;background-color:#fee7e6}.mw-parser-output .ambox-delete{border-left:10px solid #b32424}.mw-parser-output .ambox-content{border-left:10px solid #f28500}.mw-parser-output .ambox-style{border-left:10px solid #fc3}.mw-parser-output .ambox-move{border-left:10px solid #9932cc}.mw-parser-output .ambox-protection{border-left:10px solid #a2a9b1}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-text{border:none;padding:0.25em 0.5em;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image{border:none;padding:2px 0 2px 0.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-imageright{border:none;padding:2px 0.5em 2px 0;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-empty-cell{border:none;padding:0;width:1px}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image-div{width:52px}html.client-js body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .mbox-text-span{margin-left:23px!important}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .ambox{margin:0 10%}}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1086701767" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles">.mw-parser-output .multiple-issues-text{width:95%;margin:0.2em 0}.mw-parser-output .multiple-issues-text>.mw-collapsible-content{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .compact-ambox .ambox{border:none;border-collapse:collapse;background-color:transparent;margin:0 0 0 1.6em!important;padding:0!important;width:auto;display:block}body.mediawiki .mw-parser-output .compact-ambox .ambox.mbox-small-left{font-size:100%;width:auto;margin:0}.mw-parser-output .compact-ambox .ambox .mbox-text{padding:0!important;margin:0!important}.mw-parser-output .compact-ambox .ambox .mbox-text-span{display:list-item;line-height:1.5em;list-style-type:disc}.mw-parser-output .compact-ambox .ambox .mbox-image,.mw-parser-output .compact-ambox .ambox .mbox-imageright,.mw-parser-output .compact-ambox .ambox .mbox-empty-cell,.mw-parser-output .compact-ambox .hide-when-compact{display:none}</style>
<style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles mw:Transclusion">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist .mw-empty-li{display:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dt::after{content:": "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li::after{content:" · ";font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li:last-child::after{content:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:first-child::before{content:" (";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:last-child::after{content:")";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol{counter-reset:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li{counter-increment:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li::before{content:" "counter(listitem)"\a0 "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li ol>li:first-child::before{content:" ("counter(listitem)"\a0 "}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1066479718" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-header,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-subheader,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-above,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-title,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-image,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-below{text-align:center}</style><div class='mobile-collapse'><header class="mobile-collapse-header mobile-collapse-btn"><b>Quick facts: Minimal music, Stylistic origins, Cultural or...</b> <span class='arrow'>▼</span></header> <table class="infobox nowraplinks mobile-collapse-element"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-above">Minimal music</th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Stylistic origins</th><td class="infobox-data hlist">
<ul><li><a href="/en/Experimental_music" title="Experimental music" class="wl">Experimental</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Serialism" title="Serialism" class="wl">serialism</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Process_music" title="Process music" class="wl">process</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Avant-garde_music" title="Avant-garde music" class="wl">avant-garde</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Indian_classical_music" title="Indian classical music" class="wl">Indian classical</a></li></ul>
</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Cultural origins</th><td class="infobox-data hlist">Early 1960s <a href="/en/United_States" title="United States" class="wl">United States</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Derivative forms</th><td class="infobox-data hlist">
<ul><li><a href="/en/Krautrock" title="Krautrock" class="wl">Krautrock</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Noise_rock" title="Noise rock" class="wl">noise rock</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Stoner_rock" title="Stoner rock" class="wl">stoner rock</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Postminimalism" title="Postminimalism" class="wl">postminimalism</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Totalism" title="Totalism" class="wl">totalism</a></li></ul>
</td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header">Subgenres</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data hlist"><a href="/en/Drone_music" title="Drone music" class="wl">Drone</a><span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-coxwarner.301_1-0"><a href="#cite_note-coxwarner.301-1" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 1;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[1]</span></a></span></td></tr></tbody></table> <footer class='mobile-collapse-footer mobile-collapse-btn'><b>Close</b> <span class='arrow'>▲</span></footer></div>
<p>The approach originated in the New York <a href="/en/Downtown_music" title="Downtown music" class="wl">Downtown scene</a> of the 1960s and was initially viewed as a form of <a href="/en/Experimental_music" title="Experimental music" class="wl">experimental music</a> called the <i>New York Hypnotic School.</i><span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-5"><a href="#cite_note-5" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 5;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[5]</span></a></span> In the <a href="/en/Classical_music" title="Classical music" class="wl">Western art music</a> tradition, the American composers <a href="/en/La_Monte_Young" title="La Monte Young" class="wl">La Monte Young</a>, <a href="/en/Terry_Riley" title="Terry Riley" class="wl">Terry Riley</a>, <a href="/en/Steve_Reich" title="Steve Reich" class="wl">Steve Reich</a>, and <a href="/en/Philip_Glass" title="Philip Glass" class="wl">Philip Glass</a> are credited with being among the first to develop compositional techniques that exploit a minimal approach.<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-Mertens_6-0"><a href="#cite_note-Mertens-6" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 6;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[6]</span></a></span><span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-However_1994_2-1"><a href="#cite_note-However_1994-2" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 2;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[2]</span></a></span><span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-7"><a href="#cite_note-7" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 7;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[7]</span></a></span><span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-8"><a href="#cite_note-8" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 8;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[8]</span></a></span><span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-young2000_9-0"><a href="#cite_note-young2000-9" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 9;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[9]</span></a></span> The movement originally involved dozens of composers, although only five (Young, Riley, Reich, Glass, and later <a href="/en/John_Adams_(composer)" title="John Adams (composer)" class="wl">John Adams</a>) emerged to become publicly associated with American minimal music; other lesser known pioneers included <a href="/en/Dennis_Johnson_(composer)" title="Dennis Johnson (composer)" class="wl">Dennis Johnson</a>, <a href="/en/Terry_Jennings" title="Terry Jennings" class="wl">Terry Jennings</a>, <a href="/en/Richard_Maxfield" title="Richard Maxfield" class="wl">Richard Maxfield</a>, <a href="/en/Pauline_Oliveros" title="Pauline Oliveros" class="wl">Pauline Oliveros</a>, <a href="/en/Phill_Niblock" title="Phill Niblock" class="wl">Phill Niblock</a>, and <a href="/en/James_Tenney" title="James Tenney" class="wl">James Tenney</a>. In Europe, the music of <a href="/en/Louis_Andriessen" title="Louis Andriessen" class="wl">Louis Andriessen</a>, <a href="/en/Karel_Goeyvaerts" title="Karel Goeyvaerts" class="wl">Karel Goeyvaerts</a>, <a href="/en/Michael_Nyman" title="Michael Nyman" class="wl">Michael Nyman</a>, <a href="/en/Howard_Skempton" title="Howard Skempton" class="wl">Howard Skempton</a>, <a href="/en/Éliane_Radigue" title="Éliane Radigue" class="wl">Éliane Radigue</a>, <a href="/en/Gavin_Bryars" title="Gavin Bryars" class="wl">Gavin Bryars</a>, <a href="/en/Steve_Martland" title="Steve Martland" class="wl">Steve Martland</a>, <a href="/en/Henryk_Górecki" title="Henryk Górecki" class="wl">Henryk Górecki</a>, <a href="/en/Arvo_Pärt" title="Arvo Pärt" class="wl">Arvo Pärt</a> and <a href="/en/John_Tavener" title="John Tavener" class="wl">John Tavener</a> exhibits minimalist traits.</p>

<p>It is unclear where the term <i>minimal music</i> originates. Steve Reich has suggested that it is attributable to Michael Nyman, an assertion that two scholars, Jonathan Bernard, and Dan Warburton, have also made in writing. <a href="/en/Philip_Glass" title="Philip Glass" class="wl">Philip Glass</a> believes <a href="/en/Tom_Johnson_(composer)" title="Tom Johnson (composer)" class="wl">Tom Johnson</a> coined the phrase.<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-10"><a href="#cite_note-10" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 10;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[10]</span></a></span><span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-Bernard_1993,_87_and_126_11-0"><a href="#cite_note-Bernard_1993,_87_and_126-11" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 11;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[11]</span></a></span><span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-12"><a href="#cite_note-12" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 12;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[12]</span></a></span></p>



Minimal music  The approach originated in the New York Downtown scene of the 1960s and was initially viewed as a form of experimental music called the New York Hypnotic School. The movement originally involved dozens of composers, although only five emerged to become publicly associated with American minimal music; other lesser known pioneers included Dennis Johnson, Terry Jennings, Richard Maxfield, Pauline Oliveros, Phill Niblock, and James Tenney. In Europe, the music of Louis Andriessen, Karel Goeyvaerts, Michael Nyman, Howard Skempton, Éliane Radigue, Gavin Bryars, Steve Martland, Henryk Górecki, Arvo Pärt and John Tavener exhibits minimalist traits. It is unclear where the term minimal music originates. Steve Reich has suggested that it is attributable to Michael Nyman, an assertion that two scholars, Jonathan Bernard, and Dan Warburton, have also made in writing. Philip Glass believes Tom Johnson coined the phrase. 