David Lang is known for pushing boundaries and buttons with his musical compositions. But a few years ago, even the self-described outsider wondered if he’d taken things too far. “I really thought I was going to get in trouble,” he says. Lang used the structure of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion to tell Hans Christian Andersen’s story of The Little Match Girl—a mash-up of truly biblical proportions. “I wasn’t sure if the result would be blasphemous. I wasn’t sure if it would piss people off,” he says. But The Little Match Girl Passion, as it came to be called, was more than well received; last year it won the Pulitzer Prize.
“It’s really changed my life,” says Lang. The award has led to new opportunities and elevated the status of his work. “It’s now acceptable to listen to my music in civilized society,” he says.
This month at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall the American Ballet Theatre will be dancing to his music in a piece choreographed by Benjamin Millepied. “I’m more used to being at BAM than being welcomed into the high temple of American ballet,” he says. “But I’m very excited about it. The company is really amazing and has this great history.”
Lang also wrote the score for the new film (Untitled), which opens at the end of the month. A comedic take on the state of contemporary art, the production features a struggling New York City avant-garde composer played by Adam Goldberg. It’s a role that Lang can certainly relate to, having moved here almost 30 years ago to follow in the footsteps of Philip Glass and John Cage. He wrote most of the movie’s music, including the hilarious “stereotypical noise music” that Goldberg’s character performs onscreen. (Goldberg’s signature is the sound of a bucket being kicked.) Despite his familiarity with the subject, Lang still appreciates the uniqueness of the plot. “Who wants to make a film about a weird composer?” he asks incredulously. “Usually, we don’t show up on screen.” For more information on ABT’s fall season at Avery Fisher Hall, visit abt.org
NEW YORK FAVORITES
Music Venue: The 40-seat theater in his loft
Song: Talking Heads, “Life During Wartime”
Music Store: Other Music (15 E. Fourth St.)
