Course Details in 2026/27 Session

Module Title	LH Minimalism
School	Lan, Cult, Art Hist & Music
Department	Music
Module Code	10 30107
Module Lead	Arman Schwartz
Level	Honours Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 1 or 2
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Seminar-20 hours Guided independent study-180 hours Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description	Nearly sixty years after it first emerged, minimalism remains one of the most influential and controversial stylistic movements in the tradition of Western art music. Indeed, it calls the very concepts of 'style', 'tradition', 'Western', and 'art music' into question. This module will track the history of musical minimalism from its origins in New York City and San Francisco in the 1960s, to its reconfiguration by British and European composers in the 1970s, and the articulation of assorted 'post-minimalisms' in the 1980s and beyond. Composers to be discussed in detail will include Steve Reich, Philip Glass, John Adams and others. Among the major themes and topics to be explored are: new ideas about listening and performance; shifting relationships between music, language, technology and politics; and, most centrally, what does (musical) repetition 'mean'?
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: Recognise and analyse in depth the major styles and techniques within the minimalist movement Show a nuanced and sophisticated understanding of the contributions of different composers to the development of minimalism, as well as the differences between their approaches Show a critical understanding of the larger musical and cultural questions raised by minimalism as a practice Demonstrate an ability to produced assessed work independently using appropriate resources, literature and techniques
Assessment	30107-01 : Essay 1 : Coursework (50%) 30107-02 : Essay 2 : Coursework (50%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	2000 word essay (50%); 2000 word essay (50%)
Other
Reading List