Enjoyment of Music, Essential Listening Edition, 3rd Ed Chapter 59 - John Adams, Minimalism

1. THE ENJOYMENT OF MUSIC
ESSENTIAL LISTENING
EDITION
by
Kristine Forney
Andrew Dell’Antonio
Joseph Machlis
SECOND EDITION
Lecture Slides

2. Minimalism
• Barest essentials
• Features
– repetition
– very little variation
• Turns away from serialists
• Non-Western ideas
• Primary Composers:
– Terry Riley
– Steve Reich
– Philip Glass

3. Minimalism
• Minimalism-music intentionally limited to
complexity of rhythm, melody, harmony,
and media of performance
– Consists of cyclic & repetitive patterns of
hypnotic rhythms, constant harmonies,
repeated phrases, ostinatos
– Influenced by Javanese & Balinese music,
“canned” rhythms, melodic patterns of
synthesizers & rock music

4. Philip Glass
(b. 1937)
• Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland.
• Studied flute at the Peabody Conservatory.
• Studied composition at the Juilliard School of Music and
worked in Paris with Nadia Boulanger--a composer/teacher.
• Traveled in Asia studying music with the sitar player, Ravi
Shankar.
• Established the Philip Glass Ensemble--to assist modern
music in reaching out to bigger audiences.

5. Philip Glass Composing at the
Piano

6. Minimalism
• “Floe” – from Glassworks
Steve Reich
– "Octet"

7. Chapter 59
Reality Shows:
Adams and Contemporary Opera

8. John Adams (b. 1947) and
Post-Minimalism
• American composer
• Harvard-trained, writes serial music
• Interest in rock
• Based in San Francisco
• Advocate for contemporary music
• Late Romanticism and minimalism
• Short Ride in a Fast Machine
• On the Transmigration of Souls
• Commissioned by the New York
Philharmonic & Lincoln Center’s Great
Performers
• Commemorating 9/11

9. Adams: Doctor Atomic, excerpts (2005)
(Listening Guide)
• Act II, Scene 3: At the sight of this
• Chorus and orchestra
• Sharply dissonant harmony
• Verse/refrain structure with
repeated text
• Syncopated rhythm
• Short choppy phrases in the melody
• Text: Bhagavad Gita
• Masterful work

10. Doctor Atomic
• At the Sight of This

13. Coda
Perceptive listening is achieved gradually, with
practice and effort.
Enjoy music!
“Just listen with the vastness of the world in mind.
You can’t fail to get the message.” —Pierre Boulez

14. by
Kristine Forney
Andrew Dell’Antonio
Joseph Machlis
Lecture Slides
THIRD EDITION
THE ENJOYMENT OF MUSIC
ESSENTIAL LISTENING EDITION
http://wwnorton.com/web/enjoyess2