"Setting the stage for a most intriguing journey into the world of minimalism, [author's] [book title] argues that [In C] holds its place in the canon because of the very challenges it presents to "classical" music. He examines In C in the context of its era, its grounding in aesthetic practices and assumptions, its process of composition, presentation, recording, and dissemination. By examining the work's significance through discussion with performers, composers, theorists, and critics, [author] explores how the work's emerging performance practice has influenced our very ideas of what consitutes art music in the twenty-first century."--Jacket.