Do you ever take a really long time to compose something ?

[m1469]

That's what I am wondering.  I am currently composing something that I want to treat with the utmost care and concern (haven't really felt that way before  ).  I want it to be perfect and I am thinking about just letting it take years if it wants to.  What's the rush ?

My mom is a wonderful pencil artist and once took 10 years to complete a work.  Well, why don't composers do this ?  Talk about patience.  I will admit, in her case, she had kids and only worked on it when she felt like it.  But still, what would it be like to approach a musical composition this way ?



m1469 

[pianistimo]

yes.  all my compositions, despite their one to two page limit, are laboriously thought about and erased and pencilled and erased and pencilled.  finally, i have to re-write the whole piece again so i can read it because usually when i am inspired to write something - i have to jot it down in a hurry.  it's usually most of the piece - but the ending is always missing.    i think you have to take time on composition to make a piece 'sound right.'  you don't want it to sound like a patchwork quilt.  of course, mine are just ideas that float in and out of my head and are mostly melodies that i try to harmonize a bit.   it would be easier if i had an electronic piano with playback capabilities and varioius functions - as voice/ instruments. 

[fliszt]

chopin took 10 years to write the 4th ballade

[m1469]

chopin took 10 years to write the 4th ballade

He did, really ?  That's kinda cool    and inspiring to me, actually.

Thanks,
m1469

(One of my favorite pieces, possibly)

[fliszt]

my favorite either

[Kassaa]

Never take much time to write something. Now have a week time to compose a *** 3 part invention for my improvisation teacher :| That's of course my fault, I've had this 'homework' since october.

[ted]

It should take as long as necessary, no more no less. There is an important qualification though. People tend to talk about creative processes such as composition and improvisation as if there were one way of carrying them out. In fact there are as many ways as there are people who do it, and some of these ways will take longer than others. Not only are there different working methods but there are also glaring differences in the experience and raw abilities of those carrying out the task. Another way of putting it is that a set of instructions or computer programme does not exist which guarantees to churn out compositions like sausages within a given period of time, although to hear academics talk about it you would think it does.

I have composed a lot of piano music over the years but I cannot remember ever having set out to do it. Compositions for me form like crystals over time within the suspension of improvisation. Many, indeed most, I cannot be bothered writing out at all. Some form in five minutes and others form over five months. The act of actually attempting to write them out in communicable form is for me a tedious and painful exercise which I put off as long as possible, sometimes for years.

[hodi]

it took mendelssohn 6 years to write his wonderful violin concerto in e minor

[ahinton]

2,859 days for my string quintet. Will that do? Actually, it only took me about a year of actual work altogether, but that was spread over this number of days for a variety of reasons. The piece does, however, play for about 2 hours 50 minutes. If you want to know more, check out BBC (UK) Radio 3, "Performance on 3", starting 6.55 p.m. GMT (UK time) on Tuesday next, 6 December 2005; see their website entry at
https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/performanceon3/pip/ahttm/
and their publicity item on it at
https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/pdfs/radio/week49/bbcradiowk49_tue.pdf
(page 18).

Apologies if that seems like shameful advertising, but it does at least answer the question (I hope) adequately...

Best,

Alistair

[stevie]

ahahaha, shameless alistair, shameless

u legendary pregnant cat

[ahinton]

ahahaha, shameless alistair, shameless

u legendary pregnant cat

Well, at least I never suggested that it was otherwise, did I?! I've no idea what a "pregnant cat" is, however (which fact may prove, if nothing else, that it's amazing where you can find ignorance...)

At least I didn't take very long composing this message...

Best,

Alistair

[JCarey]

I've no idea what a "pregnant cat" is, however...

Here is what urbandictionary.com has to say:

mo-fo / n. / short for mother f***er. A person who thinks they are the s***, dressed down with sagging pants, a high need for a belt, too much gold to make the national reserve jealous, and an attitude that stems from not having parents who knew how to refrain from the use of crack cocaine.

_____________________________

Obviously, this description does not fit Alistair at all. Might Stevie explain how he arrived at the idea that Mr. Hinton is a "pregnant cat"?


On topic, considering that I've never written anything too incredibly long, the most time I've ever spent composing something was about 5 or 6 months, unrevised.

[apion]

Yes (so far it's been my entire lifetime!  Still no opus 1 )

[ahinton]

Here is what urbandictionary.com has to say:

mo-fo / n. / short for mother f***er. A person who thinks they are the s***, dressed down with sagging pants, a high need for a belt, too much gold to make the national reserve jealous, and an attitude that stems from not having parents who knew how to refrain from the use of crack cocaine.

_____________________________

Obviously, this description does not fit Alistair at all. Might Stevie explain how he arrived at the idea that Mr. Hinton is a "pregnant cat"?

Well, many thanks, John, for your definitional enlightenment from the other side of the pond - and, indeed, you are correct in your conclusion that the description doesn't fit me at all, at least to the extent that I
(a) have an annoying habit of wearing trousers (that's British English for "pants" - "pants" in British English are underpants...) that actually fit me,
(b) use a belt only for reasons of decorative choice rather than practical necessity,
(c) possess gold reserves whose value is approximately equivalent to those of the average composer who has always to try to grab whatever few pence worth of royalties wherever and whenever he can and
(d) had parents whose habitual absorption of recreational substances rarely went beyond having regular cups of tea.

Now back to m1469's topic!

Best,

Alistair

[Kassaa]

There even is a cd of the string quintet! How cool is that . Now actually, I've become quite curious. Would you please post a small part (like 5 minutes) of the string quartet in the audition room?

[JCarey]

There even is a cd of the string quartet! How cool is that . Now actually, I've become quite curious. Would you please post a small part (like 5 minutes) of the string quartet in the audition room?

Buy the CD, beautiful music is certainly worth the money!

And it's a string quintet by the way.

[Kassaa]

Buy the CD, beautiful music is certainly worth the money!

And it's a string quintet by the way.

Fixed, now change the quote

I don't have much money as a 13-year old, so I rather listen before I buy something.

[JCarey]

I don't have much money as a 13-year old, so I rather listen before I buy something.

Check this out - https://pianochat.proboards25.com/index.cgi?board=composer&action=display&thread=1131755096

[m1469]

Yes (so far it's been my entire lifetime!  Still no opus 1 )

heh... yeah.  Maybe that is the same with this one I am composing now. 

[iodide]

Half an hour writing down an idea...next day, forget about it...year later, maybe another half an hour on it...

My piano teacher has told me that the small fragments that I do happen to create are very promising.  But the problem is that my harmonic vocabulary is EXTREMELY limited.  So what happens is this:

1. Have a great idea, write it down.
2. Start to expand upon it, but can't figure out any good chords to use.
3. Realize that everything I've written really sucks.
4. Scrap it.

I figure that I should either learn harmony/counterpoint, or just stick to performing.

[arensky]

I spent 5 years on the first version of my musical, and another 4 getting it the way I wanted it. Some of the songs just occurred to me. A couple took a year or two. If there is no deadline, there is no need to impose one. It takes as long as it takes....

[Bob]

I lean toward thinking a composer should be continually composing, at least to keep the skills up.  I think the initial direction might be clear, but not the details and the composer might not have the skills to realize that vision.  They should still get something done, continue composing, and rework the piece later.  I believe in inspiration, but I think those are only moments -- There is plenty of grunt work involved and working when you don't really feel like it or want to.  I think a composer could work hard on a piece, drop it, and then return later and work hard on it.  I believe in the idea of flow -- that the piece will write itself (it's all the other work involved that will get this to happen "by itself") and that if an idea is revised and revised and revised, it may not come out write.  If it comes out of the mind complete, it's probably right and the composer knows its right.