I have been listening to Conlon Nancarrow a lot lately. A particular favorite is Tocatta for Violin and Player Piano. It is a riot to hear the violin saw away over the impossibly fast player piano. It makes me giggle like that Zorn piece Tex Avery Directs the Marquis de Sade. Tee Hee! His work is very faceted and contrapuntal. Quite like Jazz actually, and that is something I can appreciate. Also I really like the Study No. 7 on the London Sinfonietta Warp release.

His biography is very interesting. Expatriated to Mexico in the 40's after having fought in the Spanish Civil War! Became a Mexican in '55. That's the legend anyway. I'll save you the effort unless you already know him. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=conlon+nancarrow

I am heading to Baltimore for the Matisse: Painter as Sculptor expo curated by the Phillips Collection's new Director Dorothy Kosinki (while she was with the Dallas Museum).

Oh! Speaking of Matisse! I heard the perfect summation of something that I made an incoherent post about a few weeks ago. Provided by my lady friend while reviewing a Matisse talk she was giving later that day. It is as follows:
"The audience completes the picture."

-Amen.