. . . and opinions varied widely. Some argued that when you’re stuck, it’s best to let go and move on; others said that details were the most important part so they must be obsessed over.But these two points can be harmonized (to some degree). Even if you feel strongly that measure 53 needs something, now may not be the time that you discover that something. Make note that you want to go back to that spot, and go on. You can still make your way to the final double-bar. The thing is, not to get into the habit of feeling that the inscription of that double-bar “means” that you’re done — i.e., it can mean that, or it may be that you need to go back and “fix” measure 53 . . . and because your musical attention has been fixed on other matters, you may be fresher for the task of “repairing” measure 53. The other music which you have composed for the rest of the piece, may “unlock” for you, the puzzle of what you need to do with measure 53.
07 December 2009
Proposing a Method of Repair
In the post linked here, Darin Wilson writes:
Oh my! Similar to being dissatisfied with a work in progress, is a lamentable tendency to see even "finished" works as "works in progress."
ReplyDeleteBruckner suffered from this, revising old works, scouring them for e.g. parallel fifths, etc.
One of the reasons I fear re-reading my literary efforts is the desire to tinker again here and there, and then suddenly you are adding another thousand words!
Or tearing everything apart and starting over again!
But in general I have controlled the tendency and developed the capacity to be satisfied - at last - with a finished product!