The Minimal artistic ideal

[sauce]

In another thread, a poster chastised me for citing 2nd century Greece as a possible birthplace/contributor to minimal music and art, because they use a seven-tone musical scale. They also composed in tetrachords, the result of different tunings on the lyre, but that's a different (but interesting discussion).

Here, I don't want to discuss my (probably flawed) knowledge of history. I wish only to ask:

What is minimal?

In the process of answering that question, perhaps you would like to answer a few more:

1. If I compose an orchestral piece of music featuring 100 musical movements, for 100 different instruments, but composed only in one scale, is the piece minimal?

2. If I compose another piece featuring many different scales and parts for 100 players, but they are all playing the same instrument (i.e. violas), is it minimal?

3. If I design a building with no decorum on the facade and no windows, is it minimal? What if it's a kilometer high and I use 10 million bricks? Is a highly decorated and ornate building more minimal than the previous building if it is only 1 meter high?

4? How shall I paint a minimal painting? Shall I make it very small? Should I use a very large canvas, yet only paint in a small area in the bottom corner? Perhaps I should make it very intricate as well as large, but I should only use one color?





It seems to me that there are varying methods to the creation of minimal music:

A lot of artists use light "spatterings" of light sounds (short decay), leaving a lot of open space for the ears/mind to draw your own conclusions. This method allows deep bass frequencies, percussion and synths to vaguely "color" the sound, and allows a lot of freedom to the listener.

Many artists use a "fuller" sound, with more parts and instruments, yet the minimal factor is created through monotony/repetition. The musicality in this case is created by very subtle effects changes, filter sweeps and slow LFOs, which keep the music sounding fresh and evolving, despite it's repetitive nature.



I guess my last question is:

What do you prefer, and why?

Thank you for your time.

[New Guy]

so many questions, i'll try and be short.
my opinion:

1)not minimal (too many movements and too many instruments)
2)not minimal (too many players and too many scales)

3.1)not minimal (needs 1 window to be minimal)
3.2)not minimal (still no window)
3.3)not minimal (shouldn't be highly decorated)

4.1) take a huge canvas and stare at it as long as your conviced that youve made a great painting and have put your soul into it.
4.2)it's all up to you as long as 4.1 applies to your painting
4.3)it's all up to you as long as 4.1 applies to your painting
4.4)it's all up to you as long as 4.1 applies to your painting

5 (which i prefer)

i cant really choose, i like both as long as it sounds good to me and it somehow touches me.

The Big Question, What Is Minimal?

Perhaps, modesty.

[digitalbunny]

minimal = over analysis

[sauce]

Perhaps, modesty.

That's not what I have seen.

[s.k.]

i thankst thee almighty forum, for giving me my daily dose of fun

[New Guy]

i thankst thee almighty forum, for giving me my daily dose of fun

[Alphajuno]

Discovering complexity from simplicity.

[Shadi Megallaa]

I think uve lost the whole ideal of minimalism if you think too much.. if ure doing something minimal for the sake of doing something minimal ure in it for the wrong reasons..