Analysis of Minimalism in Historical and Musical Contexts - Essay Sample

Introduction

There are different complications both in historical and musical context about minimalism. Music considered minimalism is quite broad because of the different styles that exist both in America and Europe. American minimalism ranges from cinematic to mind-blowing symphonic affectation. Both these ranges demonstrate the most general idea of minimalism but show the distinct styles that stem from minimalism. Minimalists shifted overtime in their later music to different styles. The movement and shift in the music were therefore considered post-minimalism. These artists intended to produce music to a more general audience, which was familiar to it by then. Some were primarily influenced by jazz after that period. Many post-minimalist artists began as minimalists but developed after its most abundant flowering. All the composers could not flow just with one criterion. Because of the unclear definition of minimalism, most music was considered a variant of minimalism and not a post-minimalists art. Minimalism developed and influenced later genres. The development is evident in eclecticism in modern music. So, as it can be seen, besides the repetitious and less dramatic elements in minimalist music, the musical styles incorporated help in creating richer harmonies and diverse musical colors. It can be viewed that many composers use world music, rock, jazz, and other sound art or even include classical Western music within minimalism. These ideas can be demonstrated by examining particular composers who were key figures of post-minimalism. An example is a Dutch composer by the name Louis, who was born in 1939. He is renowned for the mastery of post-minimalistic music. From the early music shows that he performed, many genres are evident because he experimented with different contemporary styles, including serialism. However, he stands out with post-minimalistic music. The type of music he made is instead considered to belong to a variant of post-minimalism. This means that although the American culture influenced them, the art they produced leans towards their own culture and therefore creates their personal or rather custom contemporary music.

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The foundation in which the music lies is minimalism, although it has been influenced by jazz and even art music. One of the artists who influenced Andriessen is Rzwski, born in America but raised in Europe. He has a different character compared to others, and he can be considered a post-minimalist. In technique, he deploys a non-diatonic harmony and has more energy than other artists. His music was repetitive, mostly diatonic, with a resonance of American minimalism, rhythmic with a low register of chromatic brass music. It had a harshly dissonant chord sequence. Jazz music elements can be linked to Andriessen's use of voice. The Republic registers four female voices, which are amplified and produced with no vibrato. The amplification helps the voices to be heard amidst the texture of the instrumental. This is a unique composing element specific to Andriessen. The voices were used as an instrument. One realizes that the minimalist pieces were not automatically eclectic as post-minimalist ones, but other musical genres profoundly influenced them.

Music brings out diverse sociality in the wake of intimate micro-sociality in musical performance and practices. It has the power to refract broader social identity formations. Some scholars highlight the transformational processes of how music developed through the minimalism and post-minimalism stages. There is a significant social complexity in which broader social relations of gender mediate the style and different interfaces for musical expression. In contemporary society, the hegemonic form of masculinity...