Gamelan for 18 Musicians?

       Minimalist music is a style that became was born in the 1960’s in the Western United States. Minimalism is usually characterized by the use of ‘cells’ or repeating ostinati which are gradually changed or looped on one another. These repeating cells usually consist of the melody which can be altered any number of ways to suit the composition. Constant harmony is frequently used in minimalist music, notes that would not fit into the key signature being used are not used. For example, if the piece is in C major, no F#’s would appear in the score. Minimalism was not embraced by any composer that we consider minimalist today, however composers such as Steve Reich, John Cage, and Philip Glass are all revered as modernist masters today.

       Early modernism can be characterized by the looping of melodies at different speeds, with little or no accompaniment. Insistence on the return to musical roots is differing from composers from the same period. Other modernists left behind primitive ideas such as melody, rhythm, and tonality.

     Music for 18 Musicians can be considered Steve Reich's first truly minimalist work, a full realization of the possibilities of this, at the time, new minimalist style.