Composer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A composer is a person who writes music. The term refers particularly to someone who writes music in some type of musical notation; thus, allowing others to perform the music. This distinguishes the composer from a musician who improvises or plays an instrument.
The level of distinction between composers and other musicians also varies, which affects issues such as copyright and the deference given to individual interpretations of a particular piece of music. For example, in the development of classical music in Europe, the function of composing music initially had no greater importance than the function of performing music. The preservation of individual compositions received little attention, and musicians generally had no qualms about modifying compositions for performance. Over time, however, the written notation of the composer has come to be treated as strict instructions, from which performers should not deviate without good reason. Performers do, however, play the music and interpret it in a way that is all their own.
The term "composer" is often used specifically to mean a composer in the Western tradition of classical music. In popular and folk music, the composer is typically called a songwriter (since the music generally takes the form of a song.)
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[edit] Quotations
- “The first requirement for a composer is to be dead.” (Arthur Honegger, “Je suis compositeur”, 1951)
- “I am a composer in search of oblivion; and I‘m always slightly ashamed to admit that I compose.” (Alexander Borodin, Letter to Lydia Karmalina)
- “The modern composer builds his works on the basis of truth.” (Claudio Monteverdi, “Fifth Book of Madrigals” 1605, Preface)
- “I may not be a first-rate composer, but I am a first-class second-rate composer!” (Richard Strauss, quoted in Del Mar, Richard Strauss, 1962)
- “One day I’ll be able to relax a bit, and try and become a good composer.” (Benjamin Britten, Letter to Imogen Holst, 1968)
- “Joy is not in things, but in us.” Richard Wagner
- "A good composer does not borrow, he steals." Igor Stravinsky
- "A composer is a guy who goes around forcing his will on unsuspecting air molecules, often with the assistance of unsuspecting musicians." (Frank Zappa, The Real Frank Zappa Book)
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
Resources for Composers
- myHitFactory - a A&R tip sheet for composers
- Indie 911 - Tip sheet for artists and songwriters
- New On The Charts - research service and tip sheet
- Taxi - a service for artists and songwriters
- Tunedata - a film and TV tip sheet
- ComposersNewPencil - articles and resources for composers
Major Music Publishers
Major Independent Music Publishers
- Peer Music Publishing
- Chrysalis Music Publishing
- Pigfactory Music Publishing
- Bug Music Publishing
- Kobalt Music Group
Performing Rights Societies in the USA
Mechanical Rights Societies in the USA
