Towards a Typology of Minimalist Tropes

Abstract

While minimalism as a style is characterized by the monolithic technique of “musematic” repetition, the style is, at the same time, capable of projecting a broad range of differentiated affects. Building on the work of Naomi Cumming and Richard Middleton, this paper develops a preliminary typology of “musematic” tropes, based on the intended and experiential effects of ostinato techniques. One particular trope, which I term the “aphasic,” is explored with references to Michael Nyman’s The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat .