Nathan Lofton wrote:

>As for his influence: go to any college level composition program and
>ask the students (and faculty) who their biggest influences are.  The
>names you will likely hear most will be Ligeti, Bartok, and Stravinsky.
>Furthermore, you'd have a difficult time finding a serious classical
>musician who can't tell you the exact day and time that they first heard
>The Rite of Spring.  By the criteria presented, I think Stravinsky wins.

While I haven't taught composition in 20+ years, when I was teaching
it the main influences, and the most studied were Schoenberg and other
serialists, and Stravinsky.  In my class in contemporary music, taken
by most of the composition majors, I had them listen to many others like
Henze, Ginastera, Ligeti, Penderecki (at that time he was still avant
garde), Boulez, Stockhausen, Pousseur, Berio et al.  As I write this,
I think I might see if I can find my old listening list.

When I listen to the music being written by young composer's today, it
would seem that many of them are listening to Adams and composers of
that generation.

Perhaps a related thought...when I was younger, it seemed like if
anyone knew the name of a living composer of art music, it was Stravinsky.
I doubt the person on the street these days, would be able to name any
composer.  Similarly, it seems like we don't have icons anymore...or
maybe I am just out of touch with things.  To use the cliche..."icons"...the
last names that come to mind...Horowitz, Toscanini, Heifetz and Stravinsky.
Maybe music is just marketed differently now?

Karl