My dear young man, don’t take it too hard. Your work is ingenious. It’s quality work. And there are simply too many notes, that’s all. …
[Emperor Joseph II; from "Amadeus"]
A question composers have to answer for themselves is “how much music shall I compose in my life?” Some of us feel compelled to crank it out on the level of a Bach, Telemann or Vivaldi. Others are happy with a Webernian trickle. In the world of so-called Classical music, I have to acknowledge that the world is NOT beating down our doors for our latest compositions. John Adams, who is probably the most popular living classical composer today, puts out an average of one piece a year and compared to Sting or Madonna, is not really very famous. Stravinsky and Schoenberg had similar outputs. Mahler and Webern had relatively small outputs, although one never thinks of Mahler and smallness in the same sentence.
Statistically, by writing as much music as you can, and having those pieces played in a wide variety of places, I’d imagine that one has a better chance of “becoming famous” (whatever that means). But I remember those lonely shelves filled with old Italian operas by composers I’ve never heard of, sitting untouched in the music library.
I think the answer is that we write as much music as we are inspired to or paid to write.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Well, i don’t know what you mean by inspiration. I don’t think I work on my writing based on inspiration at all. I certainly put a major break on my output and any chance of a career because I thought I needed some serious re-evaluation time, and to better equip myself with quality and truth rather than churning out the crapola I was headed toward. I don’t feel inspired per say, as I do compelled to do better work that I feel is more truthful and core to what I want to say and what I want to learn about myself through writing. Inspired? No. I have daily grungy goals I set to get through my writing daily without emotion. Im a moody composerbastard. Money? Forget it. I don’t compose for carrots. Pressure make me rashy in strange personal places.
In plain, I found a pace and freedom that makes me feel good about myself and the music I write. You can keep the fame, money, and posterity.
PS: Didn’t Schoenberg take 6 years off?
Inspired? No….I am composer…that’s just who i am…
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