Minimalist shows...workable for Division I?

[BMBob]

The one that sticks out in my head is "In C"

Oh man...I don't much care for this one after about a minute, and can't imagine it doing well on the field.

In C? Who is this by? Just because some yo-yo happened to make a mediocre piece and slapped the minimalism tag on it doesn't mean an entire movement should be shot down.

In C is by Terry Riley, who is considered, along with Steve Reich and Philip Glass, one of the founders of minimalism. In C was one of the earliest true pieces of minimalist music and was a model for further experimentation.

[BMBob]

Truthfully, I don't think any application of minimalism in drum corps is truly minimalism. Minimalism relies on ongoing repetition of a figure or number of figures (I think there are 53 figures involved in In C). This means the music takes a long time to develop and is extremely repetitive. This doesn't work well for a genre that allows just over ten minutes for a full show, which leaves at most about four minutes for each piece involved. There aren't any big impacts in much minimalist music, and it is not very "dramatic." In an activity often refered to as outdoor musical pageantry, this does not lend itself to success. The cases where pieces from minimalist works have been used well usually rely on shortening the piece to such an extent that it is not very minimalistic any more, but rather employs an ostinato of one or more of the minimalist figures involved.

[whiterose]

Truthfully, I don't think any application of minimalism in drum corps is truly minimalism. Minimalism relies on ongoing repetition of a figure or number of figures (I think there are 53 figures involved in In C). This means the music takes a long time to develop and is extremely repetitive. This doesn't work well for a genre that allows just over ten minutes for a full show, which leaves at most about four minutes for each piece involved. There aren't any big impacts in much minimalist music, and it is not very "dramatic." In an activity often refered to as outdoor musical pageantry, this does not lend itself to success. The cases where pieces from minimalist works have been used well usually rely on shortening the piece to such an extent that it is not very minimalistic any more, but rather employs an ostinato of one or more of the minimalist figures involved.

When it comes to performances that keep true to the character of the piece, I am one of the few people that I know that actually enjoys minimalism. (I am also one of the few that enjoys microtonal music and other stuff of the sort, but that's another topic altogether.)

However, as mentioned above, with drum corps it is nearly impossible to keep true to the character of the piece just for practicality. For example, the piece "Fearful Symmetries" by John Adams is 27 minutes long. In cutting it down to the couple minutes is was slotted for in the Raiders show, it becomes something different than the original piece. It is not something that can be considered better or worse than the original, just a seperate entity, just as, for example, Madison's version of Carmen is a seperate entity from the Barber original. The question is, is this new work still something that can be considered "minimalism". In my view, it is a distillation of minimalistic themes, but is not necessarily minimalism, just like when the Madison Scouts perform their arrangement of Carmen, it ceases to be the performance of an opera, but is rather a work which encapsulates the melodies and themes of Carmen.

At least for me personally its not an emotionally satisfying show to perform, either. When I listen to minimalism, I listen to it in an intellectual sort of way, appreciating it more for the thought process that goes into its creation rather than the actual aesthetic qualities of the music. In a drum corps show I prefer emotions; beautifully tragic melodies, intense impacts, etc, and in minimalism that is simply lost. It also makes it exceedingly difficult to perform or portray properly, as the notes are sort of... bare. Its just the nature of the music, and this is keeping in mind that out of the minimalistic composers, John Adam's pieces have more emotion and more impact than many.

Edited December 24, 2005 by whiterose

[BMBob]

In a drum corps show I prefer emotions; beautifully tragic melodies, intense impacts, etc, and in minimalism that is simply lost.

Exactly, and I dare say that most would agree with preferring emotions, especially with the amount of protests on this board over so-called "diddly-bop" shows, which sound more minimalist than some.

[dmfootworks]

Truthfully, I don't think any application of minimalism in drum corps is truly minimalism. Minimalism relies on ongoing repetition of a figure or number of figures (I think there are 53 figures involved in In C). This means the music takes a long time to develop and is extremely repetitive. This doesn't work well for a genre that allows just over ten minutes for a full show, which leaves at most about four minutes for each piece involved. There aren't any big impacts in much minimalist music, and it is not very "dramatic." In an activity often refered to as outdoor musical pageantry, this does not lend itself to success. The cases where pieces from minimalist works have been used well usually rely on shortening the piece to such an extent that it is not very minimalistic any more, but rather employs an ostinato of one or more of the minimalist figures involved.

Brilliant explanation of why we shouldn't go there.

[dmfootworks]

When it comes to performances that keep true to the character of the piece, I am one of the few people that I know that actually enjoys minimalism. (I am also one of the few that enjoys microtonal music and other stuff of the sort, but that's another topic altogether.)

However, as mentioned above, with drum corps it is nearly impossible to keep true to the character of the piece just for practicality. For example, the piece "Fearful Symmetries" by John Adams is 27 minutes long. In cutting it down to the couple minutes is was slotted for in the Raiders show, it becomes something different than the original piece. It is not something that can be considered better or worse than the original, just a seperate entity, just as, for example, Madison's version of Carmen is a seperate entity from the Barber original. The question is, is this new work still something that can be considered "minimalism". In my view, it is a distillation of minimalistic themes, but is not necessarily minimalism, just like when the Madison Scouts perform their arrangement of Carmen, it ceases to be the performance of an opera, but is rather a work which encapsulates the melodies and themes of Carmen.

At least for me personally its not an emotionally satisfying show to perform, either. When I listen to minimalism, I listen to it in an intellectual sort of way, appreciating it more for the thought process that goes into its creation rather than the actual aesthetic qualities of the music. In a drum corps show I prefer emotions; beautifully tragic melodies, intense impacts, etc, and in minimalism that is simply lost. It also makes it exceedingly difficult to perform or portray properly, as the notes are sort of... bare. Its just the nature of the music, and this is keeping in mind that out of the minimalistic composers, John Adam's pieces have more emotion and more impact than many.

Extremely well put. Let's stay with more "maximumism" in drum corps.

[ToneDeaf]

From their website I see that the Mandarins are doing Steve Reich's "Clapping Music." It isn't the whole show, but definitely a Minimalist piece.

BTW... Star 93 (Bartok and Barber) is not minimalist music. When talking Minimalist, think Adams, Glass, Reich, etc.

[Matt_S]

When it comes to performances that keep true to the character of the piece, I am one of the few people that I know that actually enjoys minimalism. (I am also one of the few that enjoys microtonal music and other stuff of the sort, but that's another topic altogether.)

However, as mentioned above, with drum corps it is nearly impossible to keep true to the character of the piece just for practicality.

I, too, enjoy a good number of minimalism. :)

As a supporter, I wouldn't mind seeing it on the field. Yeah, the true intent of minimalism is going to be lost in translation, but I think I can accept that. Every piece changes when you arrange it. But I think if a corps can at least stay true to the spirit of the piece, minimalism has a lot to offer for our activity. I think the repetitive build is especially well suited for the power and presence that drum corps has always been about. Of course, if a corps wants to go for soft and delicate, like a Pärt piece, I'd be all for that too. Who knows, it might revolutionize the activity again

[kevingamin]

Didn't Carmel High School do a show based on a Gorecki piece? Not sure how minimalist Gorecki is but I've seen him listed with Adams and Glass in some cases.

[SCVsopAaron]

In C? Who is this by? Just because some yo-yo happened to make a mediocre piece and slapped the minimalism tag on it doesn't mean an entire movement should be shot down.

The Knee Plays could probably work pretty well. It would weird people out, but who cares.

Um. Terry Riley is no yo-yo... lol. (And I LOVE "In C") He and it were some of the first in the genre.