It seems no coincidence that Nono's style changed, becoming less heroic, with the onset of the 1980s. This was a period of reaction, both globally (Reagan, Thatcher, Kohl) and in Italy especially, as the state ruthlessly crushed the extraparliamentary left that had been on the offensive throughout the 1970s. The capitalstate as a "cold monster" indeed! Nono's foreboding led to a great artistic breakthrough, even as the same developments provoked outrage in many of us, and led us into the streets. There is at present little in English on Nono. I would like to read more about how his politics intersected with his music. In his role as a leader of the PCI, I doubt that his perspective on the extraparliamentary movements was the same as mine, for instance.
Regardless, Nono's music is some of the finest of the late 20th century, and should certainly be more widely known in the U.S.!
