Philip Glass

I guess the really long and monotonous minimalist pieces are a 'take it or leave it' - kind of thing. This is demanding stuff, and if you're looking for a simple(r) kind of pleasure, you'll be disappointed. It's about the frustration of expectations, I think. Want variety? You're not really going to get it. Want a manageable timescale? Nope, not here, either. You'll get what you'll get and it's up to you to accept it and find a way to enjoy it, or to reject it. If you accept it, maybe you'll get something from it. Or not. Kind of like life, really.

I don't know of any of the above makes this music and its creators good or bad. But it sure sets certain boundaries, makes additional demands and, because of this, puts things in perspective.    

I think I'll throw one of those "giant monkey balls" comments here. Bored to death while listening Heroes Symphony and something else (can't remember title).

No, I don't like Philip Glass and i really don't enjoy so much minimalistic music in general. But i heard Der Heisse Brei by Wim Mertens and i was blown away. What a music! Everyone heard of him?

thellama73 wrote: For the record, I think the metamorphoses are some of Glass' least interesting pieces pieces, so I don't blame you for not liking them.

Ghandi 2 wrote: I wish I could see why other people like minimalism. :( It just annoys the hell out of me, which is bad since I am a fan of the avant-garde. What is the difference between repeating a piano riff for 10 minutes and the simplistic repetition of a pop song?

I think time is one of the biggest keys here, I know if I was presented with such music a couple of years back, I would have been disinterested. Also it is best not listened to as background noise. For me I'm inherently interested/intrigued in the relationship between time and space in both musical and non-musical environments. Because of the extended nature it gives time to both analysis and feel the different notes/textures. I like both composed and improvised minimalism, though the improv branch probably gets more plays. I think it also help, to read a little about the composer/improviser to try and understand what they are trying to archive.

Thats how i felt when i first listened to glass. I hated it i just fell asleep. But it was one of those things that i had to listen to over and over to get into it. and i finally did.

thellama73 wrote: It has a sort of hypnotic quality and the effect of stationary motion (if that makes any sense.)

That's mainly why I listen to minimalism.

thellama73 wrote: Ghandi 2 wrote: I wish I could see why other people like minimalism. :( It just annoys the hell out of me, which is bad since I am a fan of the avant-garde. What is the difference between repeating a piano riff for 10 minutes and the simplistic repetition of a pop song? well, most of the time in minimalism the piano riff will gradually change over time until the end result is unrecognizable as the original phrase. It has a sort of hypnotic quality and the effect of stationary motion (if that makes any sense.)

I wish I could see why other people like minimalism. :( It just annoys the hell out of me, which is bad since I am a fan of the avant-garde. What is the difference between repeating a piano riff for 10 minutes and the simplistic repetition of a pop song?

Have to remember the first London 'pop' Promenade Concert, in August 1970, whilst best known for Soft Machine's appearance, had originally been intended as a concert of minimalist works - composers included Terry Riley  and Tim Souster - however, this element of the show ended up as the warm up for Machine.

Terry Riley was perhaps the first minimalist composer to be recognised, with Rainbow In Curved Air, which influenced Curved Air (e.g. Francis Monkman plays 30 or so second of Rainbow In Curved Air in the live version of Propositions), Soft Machine and Pete Townshend. The Soft Machine/Terry Riley connection goes back to at least 1966, when Daevid Allen recorded with Riley in Paris. Apart Rainbow and compositions methods above, also check out Riley's collaboration with John Cale: Church Of Anthrax.  What may be surprising, according to one serious music encyclopaedia, minimalism may be dated back to the early 40's