Minimalism and In C Flashcards
Minimalism is a largely American reaction against …
abstract expressionism and modernism in extreme forms
True or false: minimalism is simple
True- very little happens
There is use of geometric… and simple…
Shape
Design
Composer and year?
Terry Riley
1964
How many melodic cells is it comprised of?
53 melodic cells
Describe the differences between melodic cells.
Some are continuously moving (10,11,16)
Some have long notes (3,4,5)
Some have rests (12,20)
What is innovative about instrumentation?
No given instruments or number of players
The piece evolves during performance- why?
Players decide how many repetitions of each cell to play spontaneously (staying within 4 to 5 of each other)
The piece metamorphoses as it is played and the listener is…
Largely unaware of the changes as they happen
What is the effect of the continuous pulsing drone and gradual changes?
It is almost hypnotic and the constant repetition is almost meditative
Though it is very 1960s West Coast, which means it is…
Meditative like Eastern music
No two performances are the same but around how long will it last?
40 Minutes
