Minimalism is a style of composition in which as much musical effect as possible is gained from as little musical material as possible. It is based on the repetition of motifs (simple, short snatches of tune) whose melodic and rhythmic characteristics may be exploited to achieve a multilayered effect of considerable complexity.
In its narrowest sense, minimalism refers to the explorations of a group of American composers of the 1960s and 1970s. Although there are some historical parallels,...