I think the only thing missing from Dennis Cleveland is a brawl between two of the cast members, Jerry Springer inspired. This is an interesting work. The audio on the video clip was poor, but the audio recording gave more insight into Rouse's work, though without the dramatic context. In Soul Train, I can hear Glass's rumbling organ bass lurking beneath the pop-techno veneer. I am glad that composers have sought new interaction with contemporary culture, and this work seems a predecessor to Anna Nicole: The opera by Mark-Anthony Turnage.
In Listen to This, Alex Ross has a wonderful essay on John Luther Adams. I enjoy the quiet reflection and natural ethos of Dream in White on White. Just as Reich and John (the other) Adams progressed from strict application of minimalist theory into something more Romantic and emotionally affective, Luther Adams seems to be a more evolved and emotionally attached Feldman. Luther Adams takes Feldman's sparse, pensive, and reflective textures but adds elements of rhythm, nature, and snowy landscapes. Although Gann is right that Luther Adams does not match Feldman's mystery or subtlety, his music is much more listenable.
Along the lines of Rouse and Turnage pursuing an interface with popular culture is Michael Daugherty whom is shunned by Gann. Like Andy Warhol, Daugherty has been especially successful at using popular icons as source material, although his work is certainly more accessible than Warhol's.
Daugherty gets a bad rap for selling out, being too basic, or whathaveyou, but the sold out crowd in Nashville means something. In the same vein, Mark-Anthony Turnage's Hammer a Ring on it is literally a Beyonce remix:
David Lang's music is pretty interesting, rhythmically puchy, edgy, often a bit uncomfortable. I especially like Are You Experienced for electric tuba and (mostly wind) ensemble:
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