Stephen Reich Minimalism
As society has evolved over time, so has music. Historians have documented and classified the evolution of music into distinct “eras,” each embodying music that represented the musical sentiments in that era. In the past, many prominent musicians have proposed philosophies challenging the traditional musical expectations of their day and, thus, revolutionizing music. Music continues evolving even today, as modern composers break tradition and reshape societal and cultural attitudes toward music. Stephen Reich in particular was one such composer. Known as the “Father of Minimalism,” Reich adopted minimalistic techniques that first came to musical prevalence in the early 1960s. His musical style and philosophies first received attention when
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Wiegand !1
Short repetitive musical motifs are at the core of Reich’s music, leading critics and listeners to describe his music “minimalistic” in nature. Although listening to a repeated phrase may grow boring after some time, Reich believes that this sort of repetition establishes tonality in music. In a volume from “Perspectives of New Music,” musical journalist Robert Schwarz writes that “the tonal/modal gamut of a Reich work is established at the outset, most typically by the insistent repetition of a brief rhythmic/melodic pattern...in Reich, tonality is therefore only asserted by repetition” (378). Reich’s passion for repetition, and thus tonality, in music can be traced back to his early childhood. As a child, Reich frequently listened to Western pop music and …show more content…
The phasing technique that he employs in It’s Gonna Rain, one of his earlier tape loop compositions, makes the music unique, interesting, and unpredictable. In Steve Reich’s Early Works album, at 40’42’’, two phrases of “It’s Gonna Rain” are spoken simultaneously (Reich, Early Works). However, at 41’53’’, the two phrases begin shifting and lose their synch, causing an in-and-out phasing effect that gradually becomes more apparent over time, but by 45’45’’ the phrases match once again (Reich, Early Works). This encouraged me to pay attention to the details of this gradual change. The music also gave me an impersonal, otherworldly sensation. It is Reich’s principle of musical gradation that allowed him to achieve this very
Wiegand !1
Short repetitive musical motifs are at the core of Reich’s music, leading critics and listeners to describe his music “minimalistic” in nature. Although listening to a repeated phrase may grow boring after some time, Reich believes that this sort of repetition establishes tonality in music. In a volume from “Perspectives of New Music,” musical journalist Robert Schwarz writes that “the tonal/modal gamut of a Reich work is established at the outset, most typically by the insistent repetition of a brief rhythmic/melodic pattern...in Reich, tonality is therefore only asserted by repetition” (378). Reich’s passion for repetition, and thus tonality, in music can be traced back to his early childhood. As a child, Reich frequently listened to Western pop music and …show more content…
The phasing technique that he employs in It’s Gonna Rain, one of his earlier tape loop compositions, makes the music unique, interesting, and unpredictable. In Steve Reich’s Early Works album, at 40’42’’, two phrases of “It’s Gonna Rain” are spoken simultaneously (Reich, Early Works). However, at 41’53’’, the two phrases begin shifting and lose their synch, causing an in-and-out phasing effect that gradually becomes more apparent over time, but by 45’45’’ the phrases match once again (Reich, Early Works). This encouraged me to pay attention to the details of this gradual change. The music also gave me an impersonal, otherworldly sensation. It is Reich’s principle of musical gradation that allowed him to achieve this very