Complex sentence: His early influences included Stravinsky, Shostakovich and Prokofiev, as well as rock music, and as with those composers his music is characterised by rhythmic appeal, immediacy and wide range of colours, and well-thought-out dramatic content.
Split into simpler sentences: His early influences included Stravinsky, Shostakovich and Prokofiev, as well as rock music. As with those composers his music is characterised by rhythmic appeal, immediacy and wide range of colours, and well-thought-out dramatic content.