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Minimalism in a Glass Cage
Minimalism, as used in the context of a musical term, incorporates many different elements that when applied to compositional works, can make their overall classification difficult to define. Within the term itself there exists alternate views and definitions regarding the concepts surrounding it and what it actually is. Is it a style, or a technique--as I believe, or is it simply a term that can be applied however one wishes? Within this paper I seek to answer this very question, presenting some conclusions regarding the meaning of minimalism, and to define it for myself. I plan to accomplish this by discussing minimalism through my own analysis of select compositions and through the discussion of the compositional techniques of the following composers Philip Glass (“Opening” from “Glassworks” and “Spaceship” from “Einstein on the Beach”); John Cage (“Constructions Nos. 1 & ”); and myself (“Glass-Cage Experiment”).
The definition of minimalism from the Oxford Dictionary of Music states that it is a “term applied to [a] group of composers, in whose music there is the minimum of material which is repeated to maximum effect”(468). The definition in the Thames and Hudson Encyclopedia of 0th Century Music states that it is a “term normally applied not to music in which the material actually is minimal but rather to works based on the repetition of short figures”(11). These two definitions contradict each other and fail to define minimalism as anything other than a “term.” A source that defines minimalism as a distinct style is Bryan R. Simms’, “Music of the Twentieth Century Style and Structure.” Simms states minimalism is a “distinctive style; A style that contains repetition and ostinato elements that is minimal in compositional materials” (Simms 404). So, along with these three definitions and my original view�that minimalism is a technique�there are still uncertainties surrounding it. Even though the definition changes, the view that it incorporates repetition and ostinato elements is static. These two minimalist elements are incorporated to a significant extent within in the first composer’s compositions I am going to discuss, Philip Glass.
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“Opening,” from Glass’s album “Glassworks,” is a solo piano work that contains an enormous amount of repetition. In fact, the entire piece contains an identical rhythmic pulse a two against three feel. This syncopated feel is created by a steady progression of eighth notes in the left hand along with eighth note triplets with various accents with the right hand. The harmonic changes within the piece are also repetitive and are actually fairly simple. From my own analysis I have found that this piece is made up of just three main harmonic parts repeated three times, with the piece ending on the third part unresolved. With the whole makeup of this piece being repetitive, diatonic, and basically simple, I would classify it as a minimalist piece.
Another of Glass’s works, “Spaceship” from Einstein on the Beach, also contains a foundation of repetitive rhythmic figures. Although in this aspect it is the same as “Opening,” it differs in that it contains many different layers, which create a very polyrhythmic atmosphere. Among these different layers there exists a fast diatonic pattern played by a synthesizer, a chorus vocal line--which consists of spoken syllables counting the different asymmetrical durations of the musical phrases--and other layered electronic keyboard parts. A very interesting and widely used Glass compositional technique that is incorporated into this piece is a rhythmic technique called additive process. This technique is specifically heard between 50 and 80 of the audio track (available on the enclosed audio cassette) where a layering of synthesized string parts continually change patterns by the addition of small melodic parts adding to a longer phrase each time. Within certain points of the phrase’s growth, a section of the phrase is then taken and then the cycle--of the addition of small parts to the phrase--starts over. According to Philip Glass, this technique encompasses “very simple ideas that can quickly lead to very complicated procedures”(58). Glass says, “a simple figure can expand and contract in many different ways, maintaining the same general melodic configuration but, because of the addition (or subtraction) of one note, it takes on a very different rhythmic shape” (5). Because of the extreme variation and complex layering, I would say that for the most part it is not a minimalist piece, but instead a composition containing minimal elements.
In John Cage’s “Three Constructions” (Percussion Ensemble works) there exists a great number of the same elements�such as repetition and ostinato--as in Glass’s works. Unlike Glass’s works, which contain a strong structural foundation of harmonic, melodic, and rhythmic elements, Cage’s percussion pieces contain very little to no melodic elements; The “Three Constructions” are solely structured by their rhythmical aspects. According to Cage, he devised this structural concept to provide structural foundation for the non-melodic percussion instruments (Kostelanet 17). In “Construction No. 1” the structure of the work is 4----4,16 times 16 measures of 4/4. This form represents a palindrome, incorporating the same structural elements forwards and backwards, and according to Cage, “the whole has as many parts as each unit has small parts, and these large and small parts, are in the same proportion” (Kostelanet 17). Within each of these different parts different instrumentation is emphasized, dividing the piece up texturally, but the overall makeup is based on metallic percussion sounds. Even with its complexity of form, this piece actually contains many minimalist elements, such as repetition of rhythmical elements and many ostinato patterns.
Cage’s other work that I am going to be looking at is his “Third Construction.”
The “Third Construction” also contains many similar elements of the above “First
Construction,” such as its rhythmic structure and use of repetition, but it differs in its instrumentation and playing techniques. This percussion work features a rhythmic structure of 4 times 4 (Peters ). This works instrumentation is made up of an unusual assortment of percussion instruments ranging from tin cans to cricket callers to lion’s roars. This piece, like the “First Construction” incorporates a lot of polyrhythms and tuplets, but to an even fuller extent. In particular there is a lot of use of 5, 7, and tuplet rhythms (See pages 6 and 4 of score enclosed) and they are used in most cases even over each other, creating a very polyrhythmic feel. Cage’s use of compositional techniques incorporating polyrhythms and layering do not fit within the definitions of minimalism, but the piece’s use of repetition and ostinato gives it a very minimalist quality.
Within my analysis of the select group of works mentioned throughout and some of the compositional elements and techniques of Philip Glass and John Cage as applied to minimalism, I have employed some elements into a composition of my own. The “Glass-Cage Experiment” reflects many of the minimalist ideas shown through Philip Glass’s works, such as repetition and ostinato, as well as minimal content within the harmonic progression. My piece also incorporates more of the elements not thought of as minimal, more like many of the elements used by Cage, such as the use of tuplets, layering, and polyrhythms. Like that of Cage in his rhythmical organization I, too, have taken the liberty of organizing my piece around similar elements. My piece, like Cage’s “Construction No. 1,” is set up as a palindrome. Its overall form is , , , , with 8 bar phrases. The first eight bars represent the introduction of the A section theme carrying an A minor centered tonality with varying accents, and the next 16 bars (combined with the intro making the first section) contain the main theme with an ostinato bass pattern. With the entrance of the bass pattern, a consistent against pattern is created between the eighth notes of the bass line and the eighth note triplets of the melody line. The next two sections of 8 (the first section) represent the harmonic shifting section. Within this section just a small harmonic variation is made, still retaining the foundation of the against feel. The two sections following, (the second section) represent the section where experimentation with layering and polyrhythms is incorporated, representing a more Cage influence. The next section also continues the previously stated elements but starts to bring it back into the A section. Finally with the last () section, the return of the A theme is established and then the piece ends with the introduction theme played backwards, wrapping the piece up as it began.
In wrapping this up, while a standard definition of minimalism is most likely not possible, in doing this paper I have learned that this aspect is not as important as just being able to distinguish the elements that relate to it or to identify the amount of variation contained within. In forming an analysis of a piece of music it is important to be able to back your view that it is a minimalist piece, and/or that it does contain features of minimalism. I believe I have found that minimalism is just a term that one can apply how he or she wishes, as long as it is made up of the known foundational elements of minimalism. One does not have to know exactly what it is, like some things in life; some things just cannot be completely defined to the satisfaction of everyone who wishes to define it. As my title suggests, I have found the definition of minimalism to be like that of being enclosed in a glass cage One can see all of its components (repetition, ostinato, and minimal harmonic and melodic content) but one is still unable to actually grasp it, disclosing its exact meaning.
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