ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the changing nature of Cornelius Cardew the musician, with a discussion of the compositional output, the performance work and the role of these activities as perceived by Cardew and others, then and now. It discusses the conversations about Cardew never take long to come round to the circumstances of his death and the music. The chapter considers how the timing and circumstances of Cardew's exit might play its part in defining the nature of his legacy and speculate on directions Cardew may have taken, crucially with respect to a potential reconciliation with previous modes of music-making. The adopted styles of Cardew's concert music throughout the 1970s demonstrated a more inclusive appeal, but it would be disingenuous to suggest it was music for a mass audience. Cardew is essentially asserting that the audience defines the nature of music, and this is also demonstrated by his parallel composing and performing activity with the People's Liberation Music (PLM).
