Composition Study 10 - Phillip Glass

Introduction

Like the Steve Reich composition, we were tasked with creating a composition with two distinct rhythmic streams. The rules for this composition were as follows:

1. Fixed melody section.

2. Uses additive composition to produce poly rhythmic effects.

3. Try and work out a coherent harmonic scheme.

4. The aim would be to create a harmonic "stack" of different parts. 

Research

Philip Glass

Philip Glass is an American composer who is known for his work in minimalism. However Glass doesn't like to be associated too much with the name and prefers to be know as a composer using "music with repetitive structures". This is noticeable as his music evolves away from minimalism as he gets older. Glass became influenced into minimalism by Steve Reich after viewing a performance of his piece Piano Phase.

Additive Process 

The additive process describes the technique in which Glass used in his early music. This is the process of taking a bar of music containing a phrase of music and repeating it a number of times. Then as the piece progresses additional notes are added again and again until the composition evolves. In some of Glass' earlier works, he demonstrates this process in its most simplest of forms.

Philip Glass - Two Pages

  

Philip Glass - Music in Fifths

Another interesting part of this method is the rhythmic element of it.

"Rhythmic Structure:
This is the most important element in Glass' music. According to Glass, in traditional Western music, harmony and melody have always had priority over rhythm, and in the case of his music, the opposite is true." (Lodal)

Methodology

I chose the harpsichord instrument for the composition because of the inspiration taken from music in fifths. The composition starts with a two note phrase which is consistently repeated until a third note is added and so on, thus beginning the additive process. The piece slowly starts to become more dense with slight tempo adjustments to build tension within the composition.

A choir pad is played at different intervals during the piece, placed in sections of the piece where it was felt that it would benefit the composition in texture and harmonic range.

Photo showing the build up of the additive process.

Final Mix

 

Conclusion

Minimalism has been one of the most interesting genre's to have been studied within this module. The aim was to have this composition similar to that of Buildings or Music in Fifths. Improvements would have been to make the piece longer and again to have made the composition sound more human by manipulating the MIDI notes in Cubase.

References

1. Rik Hofman. (2013). Philip Glass - Music In Fifths. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GL3yNFmv0o. Last accessed Sep 2014.

2. Rik Hofman. (2013). Philip Glass - Two Pages. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZMJcrVIHCU. Last accessed Sep 2014.

3.Kirsten Lodal. (n/a). Music : Minimalism : Philip Glass. Available: http://www.math.brown.edu/~banchoff/Yale/project04/glasstyle.html. Last accessed Sep 2014.