I've only heard a few compositions on MP3, but Conlon Nancarrow is fascinating. Clearly a major weird-genius of modern music, he composed exotic tunes for player pianos, utilizing up to 12 tempi in a single piece! Collossally speedy & complex, his pieces are unplayable by human pianists. Supposedly he was inspired by Stride-era jazz pianists like Art Tatum. He was born in Texas, son of the mayor of Texarkana, but fled to Mexico (he was a communist at one point), where he lived out his days. Read about him here.
posted by Brad Larcen 9/22/2000[edit]
