Listening (Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, Symphony No. 1, mvt. 1 (1983)

I thought that it was interesting how Zwilich composed music under the genre of "Later Neo-Classicism". It seems like she is taking styles from earlier generations and applying them to ideas in our current generation. I like how Zwilich uses strings in a serious moving line, while the flute moves up and down within notes. She also uses a lot of brass in this composition which also indicates the seriousness of the piece. I feel that the piece has a mysterious element to it, and this adds to the brass's dramatic effect. I thought that this piece was deserving of the Pulitzer Price in 1983. Also towards the end of the piece there is a softer section within the strings. It was interesting how the piece was so serious, and then seemed to end with a question, thematically.