Louis Andriessen

So - Louis Andriessen. Good composer, or best composer?

http://www.classicaltv.com/v810/not-mozart-m-is-for-man-music-mozart

(There's lots of (artistic?) nudity in that one, so don't watch if you don't want to see it!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INehqNO_apg

I loves him so much. He's coming to Montreal in a few days and I'm really hoping I get a chance to *at the very least* wrap my arms around him and whisper sweet nothings into his ears.

He occasionally has cool stuff, but he's not the best by any means.

He's got almost a nasal sound to his composing... like the vocals... I sort of like the Racconto -- it's like a very modern romantic song. the De Materie sounds a lot like NY loft jazz... can't remember the specific band, but int hat kind of disconnected phrasing and static orchestration.

Neat, but not really my thing.

I find Andriessen to be interesting technically, but he is not a composer that bears multiple hearings of a particular work. I played Hocketus and Workers' Union during my years of study and after a few goes through was rather frustrated by the fact that often there is only one really unique idea in the composition. That said, having viewed the video of Racconto I was quite drawn to it.

Also, De Stijl is delightfully bonkers.

I think its OK, as is his father Hendrik.

OH he did Hoketus! That's where I know the name... That piece is nifty, if a one-trick pony.

For the record, I find Workers Union to be terribly noisy.

a composer commented to me that she thought his work has become dated with time - i think it's awfully charming - especially De Staat. I think he is rather golden, and has mentored some rather good, successful composers as a teacher. He is at least a /competent/ composer, as well as a competent pedagogue. My personal take is that he is much more than that, and can move beyond functional harmony in a diatonic way without resorting to pure minimalism, but it is simply my take on the matter.