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Welcome to the artissimo.gr pages of Workshop ! |
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English Language : Classical Music : Workshop Music composition definition |
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What a music composition really is ? We are all the time talking about music compositions, music pieces, music creation and the like, but, what is really a piece of music ? What does it represent and what is its essence ? So, let's just try to answer this question : what a music composition really is ? Well, a very first possible answer would be : A music composition is a complicated sonic construction consisting of small similar events, usually called notes, which is obeying some basic aesthetic and acoustic rules. This answer is certainly correct and is describing some very general principles of music, but, nonetheless, is rather too generic to be of any real use. It doesn't give us any new important information about music. Let's try for a second time : A music composition is simply the voyage from a close hill to another, having just to go through all kinds of possible obstacles but also being able to visit all kinds of monuments. This is a rather metaphorical approach which quite ironically could apply to either composers or listeners : creators are having to surpass lots of difficulties while trying to implement their internal vision, while listeners trying to get into the composer's mind or just recreate his intensions while listening to a continuous stream of interesting notes. Hm ! Quite an interesting definition, but is technically poor, isn't it ? Let's try another one : A music composition is just a series of well-proportioned events appropriately mixed with dissymmetrical ones in just a way that listener's expectations are totally fulfilled. This is quite a sophisticated one : it expresses the non-obvious fact that music is not de facto interesting, it has to conform to some very basic regulations. Anyway, the previous maxim applies to a lot of musical parameters : rhythm, timing, scales, harmony, counterpoint, orchestration etc. So, we are approaching our final aim : finding the most suitable definition of the term "music composition". Let's try a more romantic one : A music composition is the vehicle of art which is capable of stimulating or even creating our most extreme sentiments : the whole spectrum of a human's mental world can definitely be recreated through power of music. This is certainly not a scientific definition, but, is probable a most artistic one. Nevertheless, the power of music and its essence is of paramount important if one wants to be a successful artist. So, this knowledge is not to be ignored. But, where is - at last - our beautiful and sound definition of the term "music composition" ? Let's try a more mathematical one : Let's first declare that the set of musical elements is consisting by all the components that are independent the one from the other. So, the corresponding list will include : time, rhythm, melody, harmony, counterpoint, orchestration. Well, academically there are not 100% mathematically independent, but for our purposes we can look on them as such. Let's go on with the declaration : a music composition is the phenomenon expressing the precise moves of basic musical elements over the time. Well, let's confess that this previous sentence can lead to some very complicated results, but, in principle, music can be perfectly described by a similar characterization. It's a perfect definition ! ... but ... it has got a very important defect : it doesn't help us either understand music or write any of our own. So, this definition is of just theoretical value. Well, here is another idea borrowed from the area of human behaviour : a music composition is a source of sonic micro-facts causing people a deep understanding of a psychological nature while instantly recognizing musical patterns and ideas which are causing it. Ups! Sounds a little bit complicated !? Well, no, not at all, and it can help us listen to or write music ! What does this previous sentence mean ? People are listening to music, music is triggering patterns stored into their brain in a very rapid procedure, and all this "chain" is causing some certain psychological effects. It's simple but very important as well ! It's our basic definition for writing music ! A very quick recapitulation : All tries to give a sound declaration for the term "music composition" can add something to our musical understanding : however, they are the ones which are heavily involving the element of human perception that are enabling us getting into the very essence of music. |
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