Tones, Drones and Arpeggios: The Magic of Minimalism

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Exploring the US minimalist composers who rebooted classical music in the 20th century.

Musician Charles Hazlewood explores the four great American minimalist composers who rebooted classical music in the 20th century.

BBC Four

Charles Hazlewood

Franny Moyle

Ben Whalley

Tones, Drones and Arpeggios: The Magic of Minimalism: Series 1: Episode 2: New York

New York

Episode 2

Episode 2: New York

Series 1

BBC Four - Tones, Drones and Arpeggios: The Magic of Minimalism, Series 1, New York

Charles Hazlewood meets the genre's superstars, Philip Glass and Steve Reich.

Charles Hazlewood meets Philip Glass and Steve Reich, who added new orchestral dimensions to compositions based on repetition, transcendence and new technology.

In this episode Charles Hazlewood meets the genre's superstars Philip Glass and Steve Reich. 

Across the 1960s these New Yorkers added new orchestral dimensions to compositions based on repetition, transcendence and new technology, and broke into the mainstream in the following decade. Charles explores how breakthrough techniques Reich first explored on tape were transposed for orchestral performance. Glass's experiments with repetitive structures, along with his innovative work in opera - Einstein on the Beach - revealed new possibilities for classical music. 

The episode includes excerpts from minimalist pieces, including Reich's Variations for Winds, Strings and Keyboards performed by the Army of Generals orchestra. Charles Hazlewood's All Stars Collective performs part of Mike Oldfield's minimalist-inspired Tubular Bells.

The key attributes of minimalism, its reliance on repetition, its mesmerizing transcendent qualities and innovative use of technology are also discussed with broadcaster and writer Tom Service; director of music at the Southbank Centre, Gillian Moore; composers Laurie Spiegel, Nico Muhly, Julia Wolfe, Max Richter and Bryce Dessner; and musicians Jarvis Cocker and Adrian Utley.

Tones, Drones and Arpeggios: The Magic of Minimalism: Series 1

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