2009 Pulitzer Prize for Music

Just thought that (for those of you that don't know) the Pulitzer for music was given today. The recipient was Steve Reich and his piece 'Double Sextet.' Personally, from the clip on NPR ( Steve Reich Wins Music Pulitzer : NPR Music ) I think it's phenomenal and well-deserving of such an honor. Give it a listen, and say what you think!

Oh my gosh Steve Reich won?! YESS.

Wow I can now say I shook the hand of a Pulitzer Prize winner. Ain't that something.Congrats to him.

Congrats Mr. Reich!

I'm not sure I get this music critic's comment:

"It's about time the first generation of minimalist composers were honored," Page says, "because they changed American music. It could be argued they changed world music."

Isn't John Adams part of that same "first generation" of minimalists? He won the prize in 2003.

Isn't John Adams part of that same "first generation" of minimalists? He won the prize in 2003.

John Adams is about 10 years younger and was only a kid/teenager when Minimalism first came up. The "first generation" is generally understood as Steve Reich, La Monte Young and Terry Riley who founded the whole "movement". Even Philip Glass (while being of similar age as those) is not usually included in that.

Fascinating that my expression of disaproval was deleted.

:( Yea, It's a shame. I'm not 100% in agreement with the Pulitzer Prize people either, but I haven't heard any of the other nominations or recent pieces that he would have been up against. Anyway I liked the piece, but from a personal point of view I would have taken his harmonic ideas in a different direction! But regarldess, it's still a cool piece of music.

Ok so I can't stand modern/atonal/post-modern/minimalist music but I listened to the 7 minute clip of this Pulitzer Prize winning piece and it was enjoyable and better than I expected. Did it seem worthy of a Pulitzer prize? Only in a world where musical standards have sunk to abyssal lows - it is difficult for me to imagine there was no music better than this out there, it feels like any typical piece a modern film composer can crap out for a movie, in fact it sounds very much like a rip off of John Williams piece from A.I., forget what it was called but it's played at the end when they're flying around in Man-hattan.

Ok so I can't stand modern/atonal/post-modern/minimalist music but I listened to the 7 minute clip of this Pulitzer Prize winning piece and it was enjoyable and better than I expected. Did it seem worthy of a Pulitzer prize? Only in a world where musical standards have sunk to abyssal lows - it is difficult for me to imagine there was no music better than this out there, it feels like any typical piece a modern film composer can crap out for a movie, in fact it sounds very much like a rip off of John Williams piece from A.I., forget what it was called but it's played at the end when they're flying around in Man-hattan.

Are you familiar with anything else by Steve Reich?

What I have heard of Reich, it's ok. I don't like it, but I don't hate it like I do Glass. His stuff is far more interesting and complex than Glass' and thus I can listen to it for probably five minutes before betting bored. But some of his pieces are rockin'! like "New York Counterpoint."

Anyway, from the excrept I heard, the piece was alright. I didn't find it bad by any means. I just have trouble believing that there absoutely was nothing better written this year. Then again, I don't know any of the other nominees. Maybe the Pulitzer just comes down to politics just like pretty much every other award handed out ever. *shrug*

What I have heard of Reich, it's ok. I don't like it, but I don't hate it like I do Glass. His stuff is far more interesting and complex than Glass' and thus I can listen to it for probably five minutes before betting bored. But some of his pieces are rockin'! like "New York Counterpoint."

See, I preferred the Glass that I'd heard (Music in the Shape of a Square), but I know nothing of Reich. This piece is weak to me because it wasn't particularly specialized. It didn't change fast enough to boggle at or slow enough to meditate on. And with many of the concepts of minimalist music breaking into rock, it's hard not to compare.

I dunno. Just didn't do it for me...

I'm guessing it's more of a lifetime achievement award. Which he DESERVES, he's a great composer.

Tehe... the mods are REALLY keeping negative criticism of any kind of out of this thread.... even when it's not particularly offensive or flaming in any way whatsoever. Methinks a mod here has a bit of a sweet spot for Reich.

Anyway, from the excrept I heard, the piece was alright. I didn't find it bad by any means. I just have trouble believing that there absoutely was nothing better written this year. Then again, I don't know any of the other nominees. Maybe the Pulitzer just comes down to politics just like pretty much every other award handed out ever. *shrug*

BOLD - If that was so then it is really a very poor reason to delete negative criticism and is highly unprofessional. :sleeping: But perhaps that is not the reason. However, even purging the negative comments that are "not particularly offensive or flaming in any way whatsoever" is quite frankly, dumb.

The piece is OK in my estimation. I don't have Reich in the same league as John Adams who won this award a few years ago. But ho hum.

I'm guessing it's more of a lifetime achievement award. Which he DESERVES, he's a great composer.

Barber must have had a hell of a life then. He won it twice. ;)

BOLD - If that was so then it is really a very poor reason to delete negative criticism and is highly unprofessional. :sleeping: But perhaps that is not the reason. However, even purging the negative comments that are "not particularly offensive or flaming in any way whatsoever" is quite frankly, dumb.

Well, admittedly I was half-joking there. But I really can't see any justifiable reason for deleting half of the posts in this thread that were deleted yet the most inflamatory post in this thread (which shall remain nameless) is allowed to stay. Oh well though. We are a bureaucracy and as such, we do have certain double standards to maintain.

OK just to be clear here, the comment was not deleted because it was "anti Steven Reich", it was deleted because it was spam.

Let's be clear here: "half the posts in this thread" were not deleted. Three posts were. The original spam, and any comments having nothing to do with the OP.

So i'm guessing J Tokke's original show of disapproval was spam and not a genuine opinion stated because he had an opinion on the pieces selection for the prize? I will just assume so, after all I did not see the original message.

Pulitzer Prize for Music - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Having done a bit more reading of the nature of the prize it is no Surprise that Reich has won it at least once given that it is an American prize. I didn't know this.

/me notices that his post pretaining to the deletion of the original post was also deleted.

OK just to be clear here, the comment was not deleted because it was "anti Steven Reich", it was deleted because it was spam.

Let's be clear here: "half the posts in this thread" were not deleted. Three posts were. The original spam, and any comments having nothing to do with the OP.

So an opinion summed up in few words (or as few words as possible) is spam? Must we all be verbose acadmeics and write a term paper for every post?! I mean, really! :angry:

BTW, just to contribute to the discussion, here is Donald Martino's view on the Pulitzer for Music:

If you write music long enough, sooner or later, someone is going to take pity on you and give you the damn thing. It is not always the award for the best piece of the year; it has gone to whoever hasn't gotten it before

Quite fitting, I think.

So an opinion summed up in few words (or as few words as possible) is spam? Must we all be verbose acadmeics and write a term paper for every post?! I mean, really!

Reich? Pffftt.

(I think most of us would have less of an issue with that if all moderators were as strict regarding their own posts. I've seen a fair number of posts that are equivalent to "Reich? Pffftt.", directed at other composers/musicians.)

Anyways, in order to actually say something about the topic: I agree it's about time for Steve Reich to receive that price which he certainly deserves for his life's work, even though I can't say I particularly like this piece. But to be fair, I've only just listened a bit into it.

(I think most of us would have less of an issue with that if all moderators were as strict regarding their own posts. I've seen a fair number of posts that are equivalent to "Reich? Pffftt.", directed at other composers/musicians.)

Depends in what part of the site.

Also, feel free to point these out at the time. There's a report post button on every post. If you don't report such posts, you don't have a lot of grounds to complain about them.

I'm not reporting them, because I don't really mind them. It's just something that strikes me as odd.

I'm not reporting them, because I don't really mind them. It's just something that strikes me as odd.

If you do not wish to report them, then please, do not use them as support for an accusation that is without foundation. It is rather unfair to accuse the moderating staff of something, but then be unwilling to offer evidence of the prohibited behaviour.

Now, can we please simply get back to the topic of this thread?

If you do not wish to report them, then please, do not use them as support for an accusation that is without foundation. It is rather unfair to accuse the moderating staff of something, but then be unwilling to offer evidence of the prohibited behaviour.

Now, can we please simply get back to the topic of this thread?

Why not just delete the ones that are off topic?

Ugh, if that thing Daniel posted is what you replied with, it seriously was a waste of space and should've been deleted.

Now back to the topic:

I'm a fan of Reich and I like most of his ideas. I'm not sure what other pieces the judges choose to nominate as finalist, but until I do know, I don't think it's fair to simply say, "there were better pieces out there." I personally think this piece was pretty sweet. Well thought out and creative, plus I loved the way it was premiered. I don't consider it his best work, but the way people are talking about it here makes it seem like they believe their ideas pwn his. Kinda makes me laugh though.

Let us not forget that the works chosen by the Pulitzer committee have to be from that particular year... so even if some other composer wrote a piece you think is more "worthy" in preceding years, it wouldn't be eligible.