Minimalism in the Twenty-First Century: An Analysis of Max Richter's "The Blue Notebooks"
Open Access
- Author:
- Rothermel, Samuel
- Graduate Program:
- Music (MA)
- Degree:
- Master of Arts
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- March 20, 2023
- Committee Members:
- Rachel Copeland, Professor in Charge/Director of Graduate Studies
Taylor Aitken Greer, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Eric John Mckee, Committee Member - Keywords:
- Minimalism
String Quintet
Piano
Richter
Max Richter
Postminimalism
Electronic Music
Living Composer
Contemporary Classical Music
Popular Music
Concept Album
Protest
The Blue Notebooks - Abstract:
- Max Richter is now arguably the most successful minimalist composer of the twenty-first century. He is known for writing experimental concert works, albums, ballets, and movie soundtracks, all of which contain a profoundly humanist inspiration behind them. He borrows from multiple minimalist traditions, particularly layering, use of predominantly inverted triadic harmony, and basic motivic repetition throughout a piece. To it he adds extra-musical elements, such as heavy use of reverb and environmental recording samples, to create an intensely atmospheric sensation. A self-proclaimed protest against war and violence, The Blue Notebooks features many additional expressive qualities that would not have been emblematic of previous generations of minimalist composers such as a somewhat intangible tenderness rendered by his prominent use of strings and their liberal use of vibrato and wide register. Max Richter fits into both a tradition of postminimalist technique as well as the modern era for his explicit commentary on current events using a limited rhythmic and harmonic palette. He more than makes up for these limitations through his innovative use of soundscape-building devices and his expressive treatment of timbre.