My operas and my theatre works are very formal pieces.

I think music has gone through a period of something very severe, rather radical, rather the way painting did with cubism.

When I dealt with set theory, I could never make it be the music that I wanted.

Minimalism now is a reaction to what came before. It's absolutely of its time. Music moved into the set theory thing, and moved out of it.

People say my music is English. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's not me writing English music, but that English music is becoming more like me.

One thing I've tried to do in writing music is take on very basic things, very archetypal things.

My operas and my theatre works are very formal pieces.