And Now For Something Completely Different...
Figured I'd really blow some minds--if anybody knew or understood this music at all:
"Progressive" Classical
Philip Glass: ENSTEIN ON THE BEACH, SATYAGRAHA, AKHNATEN (operas), KOYAANISQATSI, NAQOQATSI, CANDYMAN (scores), THE PHOTOGRAPHER, SONGS FOR LIQUID DAYS, and much more...
John Adams: THE DEATH OF KLINGHOFFER, NIXON IN CHINA (operas), HARMONLEHRE, HARMONIUM, SHAKER LOOPS, and much more...
Steven Reich: DRUMMING, THE DESERT MUSIC, EARLY WORKS, SIX MARIMBAS, TEHEILIM (sp?), and much more....
Michael Nyman: PROSPERO'S BOOKS, DROWNING BY NUMBERS, THE DRAUGHTSMAN'S CONTRACT, SIX DAYS, THE THIEF/THE COOK/HIS WIFE/HER LOVER, GATTICA (scores), THE MAN WHO MISTOOK HIS WIFE FOR A HAT (Chamber Opera), and much more...
Robert Ashley: IMPROVEMENT (OR DON LEAVES LINDA), PERFECT LIVES (my personal favorite of all time), EL AFICIONADO, ATALANTA (operas), AUTOMATIC WRITING, and much more...
John Corigliano: THE GHOSTS OF VERSAILLES (opera)
Wim Mertens: THE BELLY OF AN ARCHITECT (score), and some others
Classical: Favorites include Igor Stravinsky, George Gershwin, Ludwig von B, Frederick the Great, J.S. Bach, and a host of others. Basically it would be easier to answer with who I didn't like.
"Degenerate" Classical
John Zorn. Everything he does. He's simply a genius.
John Cage. Some of it, but not everything.
Jazz: I'm a little more limited here:
Dizzy Gillespie
Art Blakey
Passport
The Rippingtons
Pat Metheny
Fourplay
There's probably more, I've just not heard it yet.
--emw