By Allan Kozinn
The New York Times

Surprises and Delicacies in a Year of Exciting Classical CD's

The classical music critics of The New York Times select the year's most notable CD's

By Allan Kozinn
The New York Times

COMPOSERS, no matter how evident their stylistic allegiances may be, almost invariably prefer to regard themselves as unclassifiable. Frederic Rzewski is harder to classify than most. His overtly political pieces receive a lot of attention, but he writes plenty of works free of extramusical agendas, and they are no less striking. Stylistically, he is everywhere, from Minimalism to 12-tone and densely pounded clusters that sidestep debates about tonality entirely.

By Robert Everett-Green

Disciplining a nonconformist | Music of Frederic Rzewski ****

When I think of my few personal encounters with Frederic Rzewski, the word "jerk" comes to mind, though I wouldn't describe him that way, especially given the state of libel law in this country. Even if he were a jerk, that might be part of what makes him such an interesting composer, since nobody makes extraordinary art without the strength to override the ordinary rules of conduct that jerks are continually challenging in their social relations.

When one thinks of the minimalist tradition in American music, the names Philip Glass, Steve Reich, and John Adams come to mind. But other composers working this corner of the classical spectrum also deserve attention. One is Massachusetts-born Frederic Rzewski.