Many innovations, however, began to revitalize
the classical genre. Vinyl recordings were reissued
digitally on CD, making classical music more accessi-
ble with a greater fidelity and allowing lengthy works
to be presented without interruption. Digital synthe-
sizers became the norm instead of the older analog
devices. To attract students to the study of music, ac-
ademic courses on rock history entered the univer-
sity curriculum, taking their place alongside courses
on classical music and jazz.
Prominent composers from earlier generations,
such as Aaron Copland (1900-1990) and Samuel
Barber (1910-1981), remained influential; however,
most were on the lecture circuit and writing books,
rather than composing new works. John Cage (1912-
1992) published several books, includingX(1983)
andAnarchy(1988). Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)
published a collection of essays,Findings(1982), and
in 1985 the National Academy of Recording Arts
and Sciences honored him with the Grammy Award
for Lifetime Achievement.
Minimalism and Its Influence Minimalism, a compo-
sitional style that reduces music to its more basic ele-
ments, gained a new prominence in the concert hall.
Steve Reich, whose works were primarily vocal and
incorporated the use of electronic tape, found audi-
ence approval with such works asTehillim(1981),The
Desert Music(1984), andThe Four Sections(1987).
Philip Glass, a reigning leader of the movement,
composed operas such asSatyagraha(1980) and
Akhnaten(1983) and expanded his interest to the-
ater and film as well. His debut recording on the CBS
label,Glassworks(1981) for solo piano, was soon fol-
lowed by the film scoreKoyaanisqatsi(1982);Songs
from Liquid Days(1985) featuring lyrics by popular
musicians David Byrne, Paul Simon, Laurie Ander-
son, and Suzanne Vega; and the theatrical workOne
Thousand Airplanes on the Roof(1988).
Often considered a post-minimalist, John Adams
blended minimalist techniques with elements from
popular and traditional harmonic music. His sym-
phonic poemHarmonielehre (1985) incorporated
styles from the Romantic period in music history.
The three-act operaNixon in China(1987) was based
on Richard Nixon’s 1972 trip to China to negotiate
with the Communist Party. Adams’s other important
works from this decade includeHarmonium(1981),
for chorus and large orchestra, and his orchestral
compositionShort Ride in a Fast Machine(1986).
Postmodernism Postmodernism in music is gener-
ally described as a return to traditional techniques in
response to controversial modern movements. It
can be presented in many forms. Composers may re-
fer to the past through eclecticism—that is, incorpo-
rating quotations from earlier music or creating a
collage of multiple quotations. Other composers
may allude to past styles, while others deliberately
resurrect nineteenth century Romanticism to form
neo-Romanticism. These techniques were well in
fashion during the 1980’s as a result of the efforts
of composers Lucas Foss, George Crumb, and
George Rochberg, although the most significant di-
rect influences of these composers were upon previ-
ous decades.
David Del Tredici, known primarily for his vocal
works, is regarded as a leader in neo-Romanticism. A
professor of music at the City College of New York
beginning in 1984, he served from 1988 to 1990 as
composer-in-residence with the New York Philhar-
monic. He received the Pulitzer Prize in 1980 forIn
Memor y of a Summer Day(1980). John Corigliano
drew on a variety of styles from all time periods to
compose his works. His operaThe Ghosts of Versailles
(1987) was centered on the ghosts of the court of
Louis XIV.Symphony No. 1(1989) was a memorial to
friends who died from AIDS and incorporated quo-
tations from some of their favorite pieces. Peter
Schickele made frequent use of musical quotations
and a variety of styles in his works. He became best
known under the pseudonym P. D. Q. Bach, in which
role he presented comedic parodies of many differ-
ent musical styles. His “Howdy” Symphony (1982),
for example, was a parody of Haydn’s “Farewell”
Symphony.Women Composers Women emerged to the fore-
front of classical music in the 1980’s. Ellen Taaffe
Zwilich’s work alluded to traditional compositional
techniques while combining them with her unique
modern style. The compositionThree Movements for
Orchestra(Symphony No. 1) received immediate ac-
ceptance with concert audiences and led to the
award of a Pulitzer Prize in music in 1983—the first
time that this prestigious honor was awarded to a
woman. Joan Tower reached prominence as a com-
poser in the 1980’s. Her first orchestral composi-
tion,Sequoia(1981), was an immediate success, lead-
ing to her position as composer-in-residence for the
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra from 1985 to 1988.The Eighties in America Classical music 217