Louis Andriessen (born Utrecht: June 6, 1939) is a composer whose early works show experimentation with various contemporary trends: post war serialism ("Series", 1958), pastiche ("Anachronie I", 1966–67), and tape ("Il Duce", 1973). Andriessen's mature music combines the influences of Stravinsky and American minimalism. His harmonic writing eschews the consonant modality of much minimalism, preferring post war European dissonance, often crystallised into large blocks of sound. Large-scale pieces such as "De Staat" [‘Republic’] (1972–76), for example, are influenced by the energy of the big band music of Count Basie and Stan Kenton and the repetitive procedures of Steve Reich, both combined with bright, clashing dissonances. Andriessen's music is thus anti-Germanic and anti-Romantic, and marks a departure from post war European serialism and its offshoots. He has also played a role in providing alternatives to traditional performance practice techniques, often specifying forceful, rhythmic articulations, and amplified, non-vibrato, singing. Other notable works include "Workers Union" (1975), a melodically indeterminate piece "for any loud sounding group of instruments"; "Mausoleum" (1979) for 2 baritones and large ensemble; "De Tijd" [‘Time’] (1979–81) for female singers and ensemble; "De Snelheid" [‘Velocity’] (1982-3), for 3 amplified ensembles; "De Materie" [‘Matter’] (1984–88) a large four part work for voices and ensemble; collaborations with filmmaker and librettist Peter Greenaway on the film "M is for Man, Music, Mozart" and the operas "Rosa: A Horse Drama" (1994) and "Writing to Vermeer" (1998); and the recent "La Passione" (2000–02) for female voice and ensemble.