Philip Glass's minimalism and metamorphosis

Minimalism refers to a movement that emerged in the second half of the 20th century – in the 1960s. Philip Glass is one of the composers who first introduced minimalist music to the world. He is also one of the most well-known composers of the twentieth century, who continued to produce his new works in our age and maintained his popularity at a high level. This thesis aims to contribute to the understanding in regards to the minimalist musical approach of the famous composer who is still alive, and the effect that his solo piano work named Metamorphosis had on twentieth century music. Emphasizing Philip Glass's life and minimalism, the work of the composer named Metamorphosis has been examined from structural, tonal-modal and harmonic perspectives. In order to better understand Philip Glass's musical understanding, firstly, the techniques used in minimalist music and then the techniques used in the work named Metamorphosis were discussed. The study of Metamorphosis, consisting of five chapters has been examined within a certain framework; and each chapter has been examined using a number of small titles. The composer, who reflects the influences of eastern philosophy in his works, composed his work Metamorphosis inspired by Franz Kafka's novel which has the same name. Philip Glass's idea of music based on repetitions forms the basis of the minimalist music movement. Also, it is the most obvious and significant technique used in Metamorphosis. The musical character of the work is shaped and formed based on the technique of repetition.