minimalism - a brief history

information

Minimalism Defined
Minimalism by Everything2

Process Music
The original manifesto written by Steve Reich.

books

Minimalism: Origins

Minimalists by Robert Schwartz

musicians

Steve Reich (1936-)

Crucial releases:

[Steve Reich's phase piece "It's Gonna Rain"] taught me two things: that quantity is not the issue — it's not the number of instruments that makes the richness of the experience. But more importantly, the interesting composer is the listener, and one way of making things is to trigger the listener's mind, making a landscape rather than leading people.

— Brian Eno

Often, I'm asked to define minimalism and I have my own definition which is that which is created with the minimum of means. I guess I like to think in those broader terms. If one thinks of minimalism according to my definition, it's able to include the works of Rothko and Barnett Newman, as well as the works of Webern and haiku, and a great deal of my work.

— La Monte Young

Crucial releases:

Crucial releases:

• Four Violins
• Early Minimalism Volume 1

Crucial releases: