Musical composition is:
- an original piece of music
- the structure of a musical
piece
- the process of creating a new piece of music
Musical compositions
A piece of music exists in the form of a written composition in
musical notation or as a single
acoustic event (a live performance or
recorded track). If composed before being performed, music can be
performed from memory, through written
musical notation, or through a combination
of both. Compositions comprise musical elements, which vary widely
from person to person and between cultures.
Improvisation is the act of composing
during the performance, assembling musical elements
spontaneously.
Piece is a, "general, non-technical term [that began to
be] applied mainly to instrumental compositions from the 17th
century onwards....other than when they are taken individually
'piece' and its equivalents are rarely used of movements in sonatas
or symphonies....composers have used all these terms [in their
different languages] frequently in compound forms [e.g.
Clavierstück]....In vocal music...the term is most frequently used
for operatic ensembles..."
Composition as musical form
In discussing the structure or organization of a musical work, the
composition of that work is generally called its
musical form. These techniques draw a parallel
to art's
formal elements. Sometimes,
the entire form of a piece is
through-composed, meaning that each part is
different, with no repetition of sections; other forms include
strophic,
rondo,
verse-chorus, or other parts. Some
pieces are composed around a set
scale, where the compositional technique might
be considered the usage of a particular scale. Others are composed
during performance (see
improvisation), where a variety of techniques
are also sometimes used.Some are used from particular songs which
are familiar.
Important in
tonal musical composition is the
scale for the
notes used, including the
mode and
tonic
note. In music using
twelve tone
techniques, the
tone row is even more
comprehensive a factor than a scale.
Similarly, music of
the Middle East employs compositions
that are rigidly based on a specific mode (maqam) often within improvisational
contexts, as does Indian
classical music in both the Hindustani and the Carnatic systems, gamelans of Java
and Bali
, and much
music in Africa.
Composing music
People who practice composition are called
composers.
Compositional
techniques are the methods used to create music. Useful
skills in composition include writing
musical notation,
instrumentation, and handling
musical ensembles (
orchestration). Other skills include extended
techniques such as
improvisation,
musical montage, preparing
instruments, using non-traditional instruments, and other methods
of
sound production.
Compositional instrumentation
The task of adapting a composition for musical
instruments/ensembles, called
arranging
or
orchestrating, may be undertaken by
the composer or separately by an
arranger
based on the composer's core composition. A composition may have
multiple arrangements based on such factors as intended audience
type and breadth, musical genre or stylistic treatment, recorded or
live performance considerations, available musicians and
instruments, commercial goals and economic constraints.
Based on such factors, composers or arrangers must decide upon the
instrumentation of the
original work. Today, the
contemporary composer can virtually write
for almost any combination of instruments. Some common group
settings include music for Full
Orchestra
(consisting of just about every instrument group),
Wind Ensemble (or
Concert Band, which consists of larger sections
and greater diversity of wind, brass and percussion instruments
than are usually found in the
orchestra),
or a chamber group (often ca instrumentation of at least two
instruments). The composer may also choose to write for only one
instrument, in which case this is called a
solo.
Composers are not limited to writing only for instruments, they may
also decide to write for
voice
(including
choral works,
operas, and
musicals) or
percussion instruments or
electronic instruments.
Alternatively, as is the case with
musique concrète, the composer can
work with many sounds often not associated with the creation of
music, such as typewriters, sirens, and so forth.
In
Elizabeth Swados'
Listening
Out Loud, she explains how a composer must know the full
capabilities of each instrument and how they must complement each
other, not compete. She gives an example of how in an earlier
composition of hers, she had the tuba above the piccolo. This would
clearly drown the piccolo out, thus giving it no purpose in the
composition. Each instrument chosen to be in a piece must have a
reason for being there that adds to what the composer is trying to
convey within the work
Recomposition
Recomposition is composition which employs prior
material so as to comment upon it such as in
mash-ups and various contemporary classical
works. It may be thought of as
analysis.
Legal status
US Copyrights
In the US, the copyright symbol is ©, or the letter c inside a
circle. The first year the work was published follows the copyright
symbol, and the name of the copyright holder thereafter. Copyrights
allow the owner of the work to have control over and exclusive
rights. Even though the first US copyright laws did not include
musical compositions, they were added in 1831. Music copyright laws
have been revised several times, most notably in the Digital
Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (DMCA). DMCA addressed
peer-to-peer music sharing software and other forms of piracy due
to new technology such as computer and the internet. A music
copyright is often notated as a letter P (instead of the letter C)
inside a circle. This is because this type of copyright also covers
phonorecords, which are physical objects, such as CDs, where the
works is contained. A copyright does not guarantee protection from
music piracy; however, it prevents other artists from claiming the
works as their own.
UK
Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988 defines a musical work to
mean
a work consisting of music exclusive of any words or
action intended to be sung, spoken or performed with the
music.
In the UK, "music" is normally understood by law to include melody,
harmony and rhythm.
References
See also
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