Michael Nyman came of age as a classical composer in the radical London of the late '60s. His work embraces multiple vernaculars (jazz, avant garde, conceptual art) and helped cement the foundation of what came to be known as minimalism. Decades into his career, Nyman's score to Jane Campion's film The Piano made him a star. The movie's themes of colonialism and silence (its protagonist, ...
This is an ideal introduction to some great music for both classical first-time toe-dippers, and people who have some knowledge of classical music but want to get more ideas about other composers they might like. The artists are household names, and can be heard singing or playing music with which they have become particularly associated: Luciano Pavarotti sings "Nessun Dorma", for example, and ...