# Moody Minimalist Composers/Chamber Groups?



## minimalist

Hello everyone! I am looking for minimalist composers who use piano and strings exclusively in very sad soundscapes. Light woodwinds would be nice, but preferably no horns. 
I am very new to classical music and am having trouble finding groups or composers to stick to this style for more than a single song or section at a time.

What I am looking for is summed up by this song: The Trees by Max Richter 



The only problem is, the sites usually go to for similar artist recommendations are giving me music that uses a lot of electronics, and I'm trying to avoid that.

Thank you for any help!


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## violadude

Those are some very specific tastes you got there.


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## Philip

http://www.last.fm/music/Max+Richter/+similar


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## minimalist

violadude said:


> Those are some very specific tastes you got there.


I didn't realize that! Hopefully I can find something that fits the specifications.



Philip said:


> http://www.last.fm/music/Max+Richter/+similar


Thanks, but last.fm is always my first stop. Sylvain Chauveau, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Ólafur Arnalds, Peter Broderick, Nils Frahm, Rafael Anton Irisarri, Hauschka all use electronics too often for my taste.


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## Sid James

All I can think of now is *Henryck Gorecki's *_Concerto for piano & strings_, HERE on youtube. Also his famous _Symphony #3, "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs"_ has same combination of instruments, with vocals from a soprano added...


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## PetrB

The arena you are looking within is far more alternative pop / ambient than contemporary classical, and there, you will often find electronics. Olafur Arnolds has a nice set of brief alterna-pop pieces for primarily piano and strings, 'Living Room Songs, (once again that ****** misuse of the word 'song,') ... but I think only one of the seven have electronics. They are all 'brief,' none much more than three to four and a half minutes (you could always play them with repeats 

Though it is often more lively than slow - ambient, one composer whose work fits part of your description is Pavel Karmonov.
His 'Different Brooks' is for piano and string quartet. He does have a tape of running water which 'runs through' the work. A literalism I don't care for, and I think the piece could be entirely successful without that tape. The link follows. The channel is 'The Tonalist,' and that is the composer's channel. A young colleague wrote to him to find out how to obtain a score of his, and he most kindly and generously just made it available for her. He is generous, likes to have his work performed, and likes for young people to be able to perform it. I would not hesitate to approach him if you find anything to your taste.
Different Brooks




Michael Music - brief, uptempo, bright and 'happy.'





Again, the slow ambient is more alterna-pop, and the pickings there, for music of 'real quality' or interest also to classical listeners, anyway, are slim.


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## Jeremy Marchant




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## mensch

Gavin Bryars, an English composer and double-bassist, might fit the bill, though he is not as melodic as the artists you've mentioned already (Richter, Chaveau) and has worked in areas you might not be interested in (tape loops, electronics, etc.) One of his most well-known pieces is "Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet", where a string orchestra provides delicate textures while a tape-loop of a singing homeless man is played. He used this technique in other pieces as well, such as "A Man in a Room, Gambling". The album "Vita Nova" shows another side of Bryars and has some haunting pieces for solo voice and choir as well, concluding with two pieces for ensemble "Four Elements" and "Sub Rosa".

"Vita Nova"





"The Sinking of the Titanic":


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## moody

Are you taking my name in vain?


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## Vaneyes

I was going to say, leave Moody out of this, he's a good guy.


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