Comment by yareally | Hacker News Reader

Comment by yareally | Hacker News Reader

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My favorites by Phillip Glass are his Violin Concerto[1], the soundtrack to Koyannisqatsi[2] and The Hours[3]. Minimalist Classical is sort of a precursor to modern day electronic music and I fell in love with the genre instantly after having a great professor at my University introduce me to it while taking an elective in Music Theory.

Another great Minimalist Composer is Max Richter[4][5]. Richter did a revision of Vivaldi's Four Seasons in a minimalist style that's quite good[6].

Minimalistic Classical is also one of the few genres I can write code while listening to and not have it distract me as well. Like the OP, I definitely recommend checking it out if one is looking for new genres of music or simply learning more about Minimalistic Music. The genre and Phillip Glass himself are highly underrated.

[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsioM3GaAAY

[1a] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7ZPWiUXYPg

[1b] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJoClZ7JosM

[2] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opqn-w_4DgA

[3] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpTaACZxoc4&list=PLkUUnZ2-hGV...

[4] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0CVMpaQoVY

[5] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Bb0k9HgQxc

[6] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i9Xqr6ZFOs&list=PL6wSqc1bLqP...

Thanks for the Richter recommendation! Another good minimalist album is In C by Terry Riley[1].

My favorites by Glass are Glassworks[2] and Einstein on the Beach[3].

[1]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K9P8gG_MHE

[2] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Stu7h7Qup8

[3] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezOI3sPqWPU&list=PL37FBBBABCF...

Edit: I just stumbled upon the IBM Glass Engine... This will keep me occupied for a while: http://www.philipglass.com/glassengine/

While we're recommending things, allow me to share one of my favorite contemporary minimalist composers, Lubomyr Melnyk: http://youtu.be/FuiUhnDf-qA

And, more impressionist, but Harold Budd is great: http://youtu.be/w61vMYCd-sY

not sure richter is minimalist (postminimalist? - more romantic?), but the blue notebooks is my favourite work of his (i think the vivaldi is different from the rest). people similar to richter (moving further away from minimalism) include sylvain chauveau, library tapes, ensemble nocturne.

> Minimalistic Classical is also one of the few genres I can write code while listening to and not have it distract me as well.

Ever tried Ludovico Einaudi, for example: http://www.amazon.com/Islands-Essential-Einaudi-Ludovico/dp/... ? The album "Islands" is an great collection of calm classic-ish piano music that entertains but doesn't distract.

Actually yes, I have several of his albums and love his work as well. Friend of mine introduced me to his music about a year ago. As you mentioned, it's also great programming music.

Thanks for the links!

I really like this one by John Adams http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi4A9bPDvTc

Also Steve Reich is quite famous for minimalism http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLckHHc25ww

And Gyorgy Ligeti (who is a bit harder for casual listening) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os-cHI9G2KU or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArX-iNou_qg

Also, Nico Muhly's Mothertongue.

http://nicomuhly.bandcamp.com/album/mothertongue

Thx, didn't know about Richter. Lamonte Young is the other composer that's usually grouped with those guys.

Np :). I'm happy to see other people love Minimalistic music on HN as well. I haven't heard of Young, so I'll have to check his works out. Anything offhand you would recommend listening to first?

I stumbled upon Richter by accident while watching a BBC Documentary of all things that included some of his music in it.

(lots of stumbling going on here) I stumbled upon these composers when i saw a flyer for Reich's 18 Musicians in college. I went to the ticket office and asked what kind of music it was and the woman said "It's avant garde, you should go!". One of my goals is to learn to play all the 18 Musicians parts, except violin and vocals, probalby will take awhile.

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