Page 35 - Composing Processes and Artistic Agency

24 The topography of composing work

situational feeling – which is a somaesthetic response and expression of tacit
subtly-nuanced discriminations – acts as a reliable basis for judging and
acting (see also Janik 1994: 33, 35). As a sensory and physical sensation, it “is
not attributed to distance, but to proximity and association” (Böhle, Orle &
Wagner 2012: 32).
Relationships between composers are also marked by competitiveness,
which can weigh down their rapport. Some of the composers we interviewed
only believe a few people capable of “objective feedback”: “Let’s not forget
that competition is incredibly tough. And I just think that lots of opinions aren’t
objective, but come from a very human state of mind.” Adifferent composer
stated that she “did not believe all that many people are capable of giving
feedback, in the sense of talking profoundly about the material.” Mistrust of
other composers must be seen in the context of processes of demarcation and
positioning. Nevertheless, different attitudes emerge here too. For Bernhard
Gander, “negative feedback has about the same weight as ten good bits of
feedback. [Laughs] You just need to able to compartmentalise it somehow.”
Ultimately, the process of composing remains a personal and at times intimate
matter, which composers need to resolve within themselves.

1.2.4 Interacting and working with musicians
The composers commented extensively on their interaction and work with
other musicians. To guide our analysis, we will be introducing two differential
categories, the first of which concerns the timing of the joint work. Some
interactions take place during the process of creation, others during rehearsals
after the entire score has been finished. The second differentiation concerns
the social quality of the relationships. Where the exchange between the com-
poser and other people is informal and completely voluntary, we will call it
cooperation. The partners in this type of interaction do not necessarily have
the same work objective, nor do they enter into any contractual obligations.
By contrast, where there is formal prior agreement on the work to be completed
together, we will call it collaboration. Here, the partners in the interaction
have a shared goal: a successful performance.

During the process of creation
Relationships between composers and musicians during the process of creation
can assume different forms. First and foremost, there is the creative relationship,
in which other people contribute constitutive creative impulses. Composers
make contact with the performing musicians at the start of the writing process.
They let themselves be inspired by their specific way of handling their instru-
ments and by the associated sound possibilities of the ensemble, as well as its
willingness to experiment. The musicians’ preferences, specific abilities and
particularities can thus be discussed during the process of creation and taken
into account while composing. Judith Unterpertinger reports that she likes to