More minimal/postminimal composer suggestions

August 31, 2011 1:24 AM

Looking for more composers to listen to, especially in the minimal/post-minimal vein. List of composers I like included in full text.

I've already read this great page:

'http://ask.metafilter.com/10560/I-want-to-learn-more-about-contemporary-classical-music

as well as all the relevant Wikipedia pages, some of Kyla Gann's writing, and some posts on Sequenza 21.

I'm looking for more composers to listen to, generally in the minimal or postminimal tradition. (I realize some of the ones I'm listing that I like aren't strictly under that umbrella, but it should also give you a taste.) Also, I'm definitely familiar with Riley, Nancarrow, Sakamoto, Noto, and Reich, but not a huge fan of either. Also also, anything piano-driven gets to the top of the list.

On with the big list!

Peter Garland
William Duckworth
Philip Glass
Charlemagne Palestine
Arvo Part
Hans Otte
John Adams (especially solo piano pieces)
Olivier Messiaien (sp?)
Iannis Xenakis (especially the harpsichord pieces)
Tavener
Kancheli
Feldman
LaMonte Young
Cage
Satie
Eno (and his work with Budd), especially the ambient series
Olafur Arnalds
Johann Johannsson
Ben Frost
Golijov
Gubaidulia
Monk (both Meredith and Thelonious)
Annie Gosfield
Gavin Bryars
Lou Harrison
some Charles Ives
Cian Nugent
Ingram Marshall
Daniel Lentz
Wim Mertens

posted by mermaidcafe to media & arts (17 answers total)

Federico Mompou's Musica Callada is a stunningly beautiful collection of impressionist piano fragments. I also recommend Erkki-SvenTuur's brilliant 6 minute Sonata for Piano. Ludovico Einaudi is also very easy on the ear, with 'Live in Berlin' and the La Scala concert being good places to start.
posted by joannemullen at 1:30 AM on August 31, 2011

I forgot to mention SvenTuur! Also ten Holt and Yann Tiersen, and I'm familiar with Chauveau.

Thank you for the recs! Chcecking them out now, and starting with Mompou.
posted by mermaidcafe at 1:35 AM on August 31, 2011

Also, I like Ligeti.
posted by mermaidcafe at 1:39 AM on August 31, 2011

Lubomyr Melnyk, Rytis Mažulis, Anton Batagov, Sergei Zagny, and maybe Alexandre Rabinovitch-Barakovsky.
posted by misteraitch at 1:53 AM on August 31, 2011

The 'minimalism' category at Art of the States has a few pieces by folks not listed above that you can listen to in full:

Arnold Dreyblatt
David Lang
Paul Koonce
And a nice rhythmic one from Anthony Braxton
posted by mediareport at 4:15 AM on August 31, 2011

(You might also want to look at the stuff at Art of the States by composers you already know, e.g., a great dubbed-dual-saxophone version of 'Piece in the Shape of a Square,' originally scored by Glass for flutes.)
posted by mediareport at 5:20 AM on August 31, 2011

I went to university with an incredible trumpeter - he does some minimalist stuff, in the experimental vein. You can check out his posts on Free Music Archive (he links to some minimalist composers and their works there): FMA: Nate Wooley. Scroll down for the tunes.

You can also browse the FMA by genre, Experimental: Minimalism.

Wooley's website here with ways to get his music. I'm not otherwise affiliated with him, btw, just always appreciated his talent as a musician and composer, and genuinely enjoy his work.
posted by fraula at 5:27 AM on August 31, 2011 [1 favorite]

Michael Gordon. I particularly recommend "Weather" and the CRI CD "Big Noise from Nicaragua".

Moondog. "Sax Pax for A Sax" and the early recordings "Moondog" and "More Moondog" are my faves.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 7:34 AM on August 31, 2011

Try Ludovico Einaudi.
posted by cartoonella at 9:44 AM on August 31, 2011

I love the work Cliff Martinez did for the soundtrack to Solaris (2002). I also like Yagya, and find some Indian classical music fits my minimalistic needs, especially Nikhil Banerjee.
posted by perhapses at 12:20 PM on August 31, 2011

John Luther Adams
Laurie Anderson
Julia Wolfe
(and the Bang on a Can Crowd, generally)
Phil Kline
The Claudia Quintet
posted by Lutoslawski at 12:28 PM on August 31, 2011

You might like the blog Acousmata for further exploration.

Also, there are mefites who are new music composers! Ok, so I can only think of two right now (I live with one and I've met the other), but there must be more. Maybe we need a composers of mefi list.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 1:11 PM on August 31, 2011 [1 favorite]

I would humbly suggest that you might enjoy my music and NonPop, the postminimalist-oriented podcast that I run.
posted by scottu at 2:03 PM on August 31, 2011 [1 favorite]

Thank you all for your help so far!
posted by mermaidcafe at 12:34 AM on September 1, 2011

Thank you for the mention of Peter Garland in your question. I checked him out and his string quartets 1 and 2 are exquisite.
posted by joannemullen at 7:11 PM on September 1, 2011

I predict that you are going to thank me for this:

Ligeti's Musica Ricercata. It starts off with a piece that only contains two pitches, then gradually increases the number of pitches with each piece. I have linked to the first of 11 videos of someone playing these pieces quite well IMO.
posted by wittgenstein at 6:03 PM on September 2, 2011

I just realized that you mentioned Ligeti. I hope you weren't already familiar with these pieces.
posted by wittgenstein at 6:04 PM on September 2, 2011