Tuesday 12 January 2010

Motifs

I've been playing around with composition recently (very different from improvisation because of the need to commit something and define it more precisely). Thinking about motifs. I started this piece with a big flourish but little in terms of melodic interest. All the composition textbooks talk about motifs and motivic development. I was always sceptical about this.

In my thinking about prolongation and the essence of a piece, the question seems to be that the motif is a coercive device for prolonging an essence. However, as a coercive device, it also creates conditions for disruption and exhortation. Motivic transformation is a subtle blend of coercion and disruption for example. But the motif can also in itself seem to be essential (think of Reti's analytical technique)?

No comments: