What made me this way...
John Cage was a true
musical revolutionary. His later years featured the ultimate in
improvisation: pure chance.
My favorite work by him, though, was from the 40's. The album was titled "3 Dances for 2 Prepared Pianos". One of his first attempts at changing the texture of the piano's sound by damping the strings with various materials, these songs are truly "dances". The pieces are highly percussive, melodic, and well thought out. The best recording features Michael Tilson-Thomas and another pianist whose name escapes me. The two instruments interlock both dramatically and whimsically.
If you can find it, buy it.