Most important/influential piece of music

[North Star]

It's always nice to know one is discussing the wrong things.

[jochanaan]

Talk to me about George Crumb's influence.

Crumb continued the exploration of unusual tone production in the tradition of Henry Cowell, Harry Partsch, and John Cage.  Black Angels is one of the most tonally diverse compositions I know of, right on the edges of what can be done with four bowed stringed instruments. (And of course, as soon as I write this, I'll hear about a piece that's gone beyond Black Angels...! )

[amw]

Crumb continued the exploration of unusual tone production in the tradition of Henry Cowell, Harry Partsch, and John Cage.  Black Angels is one of the most tonally diverse compositions I know of, right on the edges of what can be done with four bowed stringed instruments. (And of course, as soon as I write this, I'll hear about a piece that's gone beyond Black Angels...! )

Lachenmann - Gran Torso
Holliger - String Quartet No. 1

Which together have had a significant (and eventually tiresome) influence on apparently half of all living European composers. (The other half being equally significantly and tiresomely influenced by Adams's Short Ride in a Fast Machine)

There are probably earlier examples that just aren't coming to mind right away.

[some guy]

It's always nice to know one is discussing the wrong things.

Well, it's only nice if you stop.

[Mandryka]

Lachenmann - Gran Torso
Holliger - String Quartet No. 1

Which together have had a significant (and eventually tiresome) influence on apparently half of all living European composers. (The other half being equally significantly and tiresomely influenced by Adams's Short Ride in a Fast Machine)

There are probably earlier examples that just aren't coming to mind right away.

I like Gran Torso very much, it's exciting music. Tell me some musicians who are influenced by it and I'll check them out. I've never heard the Holliger  quartet but I noticed it's on youtube so I can fix that.