Page 42 - Composing Processes and Artistic Agency

The topography of composing work 31

I want to hear you play the piece like a piano player in a bar. […]I’ll tell
him, “Look, it should sound like perfumed bar music. Like a piano player
who smiles and then plays ‘I Did It My Way’.” That has its own sound. I
could tear out my hair writing it, and research voicings. Or I can just say:
“You know what I mean. A pianist in a bar. Say, in a five-star hotel, but
not the best. Imagine you have brylcreem in your hair, and you’re wearing
a white dinner jacket, and you’re sort of smiling, but you know you’re not
really allowed to talk to anyone, because you’re an employee.”

For this, composers have to be able to gauge the frame of reference for those
involved (their experience, tools, and ways of thinking) to ensure that analogies,
imitations and gestures work. Even common associations and widely shared ideas
are only partly self-explanatory. Communicating and learning from each
other are based on imagination supported by experience. And when symbolic
analogies are not effective, composers often attempt to explain their sound ideas
to the musicians more immediately by playing, singing or imitating sounds.

There are many composers who only pay attention to right or wrong,
blablabla. Whereas I can turn up with really complicated things, and the
musicians will play them correctly. Because I’ll explain: “That deep sound
there doesn’t really need to be played right, it should be more like
growling or puking or something.” And then I’ll imitate it too:
“blarghhh” [makes retching sounds]. They’ll laugh, but they’ll know
exactly what I mean.
(Bernhard Gander)

To come up against the limits of symbolic representation and explication does
not denote a lack of competence. Even composers who have a sophisticated
knowledge of notation systems and ways of playing, as well as substantial
experience gained through their own extensive performance practice, are
confronted with the limits of communication. This becomes very clear in an
interview, in which a composer explains his score to a musicologist. Although
both are proven experts in their field, communication problems arise. The
composer, when asked what musicians need to know to be able to realise the
score in line with his ideas, uses physical gestures as well as language and
sound imitation to explain:

So, in that way an area of rustling noise builds up, which slowly moves
through the room. And at this point the tremolo is slowly turned up from
zero to half, over eight seconds. That’s a very precise instruction. That
means this noise surface starts to tremble [makes shivering sounds and
makes his hands tremble].

Verbal language, physical gestures, and singing or playing notes complement
each other and make it possible to extend the limits of communication. All