WEEK 15: Minimalism and Beyond

Minimalism

Musical style using simple, repetitive patterns with gradual changes over time.

Phase shifting

Technique where musicians play same pattern but one gradually speeds up, going out of sync, creating new rhythms. Steve Reich's signature.

Minimalist opera

Opera using minimalist techniques (repetition, simple patterns) instead of traditional dramatic style.

Hindustani (North Indian Classical) music

North Indian musical tradition. Influenced Steve Reich's approach to rhythm and repetition.

Experimental theatre

Non-traditional theater challenging conventional forms and audience expectations.

Exoticism

Western artists representing/being fascinated with non-Western cultures. Example: Glass using Egyptian themes.

Countertenor

High male voice, almost sounds female. Used in Glass's Akhnaten.

New Expressionism

Modern approach emphasizing emotional intensity and personal expression.

Postmodernism

Blending different styles, cultures, high/low art. Mixing old and new. Examples: León, Shaw.

Comparsa

Cuban street carnival/parade music tradition with drums and dancing. Used in León's Indígena.

Partita

Baroque suite of dances. Shaw references this old form in Partita for 8 Voices.

Allemande

Specific German dance from Baroque era. One movement in a partita.

Extended vocal techniques

Non-traditional vocal sounds beyond normal singing - breathing, whispers, gasps, vocal percussion, throat sounds.