REPETITIVE MINIMALISM IN THE WORK OF STEVE REICH

Authors

  • Iuliana Porcos I. Introduction, Minimalism – as one of the many idioms running through the, troubledmodern musical century – was born in the US in the early 60s. Manifest, at first in painting and sculpture, this cognitive impulse aims at revolutionizing, the visual and the intellect by rediscovering simplicity. Making use of patterns, that are accessible although not actually circumscribed to the traditionalist, perceptive and reflexive categories, it imagines forms of which ’the material, the, structure and the colour’’ are reduced to the ‘’most minimal elements’’1. The, term was coined by the Art critic Richard Wollheim (1923 – 2003) who first, used it in his essay Minimal Art (1965), where he discusses the necessary, conditions for an artefact to become a work of art., II. The Minimal - Repetitive Music, The termminimal music (1968) is attributed to Michael Nyman (b.1944), who was the first to use it whenreferring to the works The Great Learning by, Cornelius Cardew (1936 – 1981) and Spring by the Danish composer Henning, Christiansen (1932 – 2008). Thus begins the history of minimal music, with a, critic term applied to two works that seem not to have survived. Later on,, beginning with the mid70s the term is further defined and clearly outlined2by, 1 Otto KAROLYI, The Minimalists La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, Philip Glass and John, Adams. ÎnModern American Music from Charles Ives to the Minimalists, Cygnus Arts Edition,, London, 1996, p. 101, 2 This is confirmed by the same Nyman in his work Experimental Music (1974) which, includes the larger chapter Minimal musical, Determinacy and the New Tonality. Cf. Peter Author

Keywords:

Steve Reich, Minimalism

Abstract

Minimalism – as one of the many idioms running through the troubledmodern musical century – was born in the US in the early 60s. Manifest at first in painting and sculpture, this cognitive impulse aims at revolutionizing the visual and the intellect by rediscovering simplicity. Making use of patterns that are accessible although not actually circumscribed to the traditionalist perceptive and reflexive categories, it imagines forms of which ’the material, the structure and the colour’’ are reduced to the ‘’most minimal elements’’1. The term was coined by the Art critic Richard Wollheim (1923 – 2003) who first used it in his essay Minimal Art (1965), where he discusses the necessary conditions for an artefact to become a work of art. II

REVART Vol. 29 No. 2, 2017

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Published

2026-02-11

Issue

Vol. 29 No. 2 (2017): REVART - Specialized review of theory & critique of arts

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Articles