A Couple of Living Composers...

I thought I'd post something about two currently successful American composers that I've mentioned to some people in class. The first is the heavily techno influenced choral composer,Eric Whitacre. [He creates some really astounding a capella works.] He has also started a NEW BLOG which he keeps updated with rehearsals, performances, and releases of his work. If you want to get a true sense of what being a full time composer is like in this day and age, that is a wonderful place to start.

The other composer is Philip Glass who has been not only a great creator and proponent of minimalism, but he has also composed for many films, operas, etc.

Schoenberg and serial music

Schoenberg being a lover of order in music (he used traditional forms) created a set of rules that composers could use. Also he was influenced by the socialist belief in absolute economic and social equality and gave the notes absolute equality or "socialism in music". Also I know this is annoying but Schoenberg's opera was published as Moses und Aron Schoenberg changed it because Moses und Aaron had 13 letters a number he feared deeply. (not kidding)