Damn. I was going to run a fun little competition asking readers to identify the subject and author of the following musical description: "[Mystery work]'s opening gesture describes the shape of the piece; two grinding five-note chords in extreme low and high registers, followed by a two-part staccato, scherzando 'accompaniment' figure (also in extreme low and high registers) ascending and descending to meet in the middle register with a single six-note chord." But the answer can be found instantly by Google: it's Phil Lesh, of the Grateful Dead, describing Elliott Carter's Partita. Life was more fun before Google. Coming soon: Justin Davidson's Blood on the Floor competition.

