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AGNĖ MAŽULIENĖ
THE CONCEPT OF MUSICAL PRECOMPOSITION: CONTRADICTIONS, PRACTICE, TYPOLOGY
AGNĖ MAŽULIENĖ
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Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre akemeklyte@gmail.com
The relationship of composition and precomposition was once defined by the metaphor of the loom and tapestry: “the weaver chooses techniques that will produce a specific visual effect on the surface of the fabric” (Rust, 1994: 62). Anyway, the demarcation line between composition and precomposition, as well as the question, if the precomposition even exists, seems to be a topic for wide discussion.
The focus point of this paper is to present the contrasting conceptions of precomposition, grounding this phenomenon in the theoretical works of Christopher F. Hasty (1988) and Douglas Rust (1994), a. o. The theoretical framework is expanded with practice-based observations, found in recent interviews with renowned Lithuanian composers Rytis Mažulis, Egidija Medekšaitė, and Ričardas Kabelis.
On the second part, the author’s four-type typology of precomposition is presented, defining textual, symbolic, sound-related, and figurate precompositional methods. Each represents different attitude towards creative thinking, related to visual and syntactical semiotics, apparent in practical compositional examples. The latter type reveals a new theoretical concept – the precomposition of FMC (figurate music composition), detected in geometrical sketches, and proved by the systematic approach to compositional material and the integrity of visual and musical parameters.
Keywords: precomposition, precompositional methods, composition ex nihilo, FMC precomposition, visual semiotics.
Agnė Mažulienė is currently studying figurate music composition for her Art.D. at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, where she previously earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in musical composition. She is active in the Lithuanian compositional field: her works are performed by professional ensembles such as Musica Humana, Giunter Percussion, Jauna Muzika choir, Melos vocal ensemble, and St. Christopher chamber orchestra. In her creative work, she explores the potential of figurate composition, linking it to diverse compositional methods.
