Felix Delbrueck writes:

>Questions I'd particularly like to ask:
>
>1.  How do you see the relationship between the exploration of musical and
>non-musical issues in your works? What tends to be the initial idea that
>sparks off a work? (Note I'm not talking here about songs or works with a
>set programme or anything like that - that would make the answer too easy)

To fully answer this question, first you have to understand the genre of
music I write.  I write tonal, mostly consonant music in a style I myself
cannot really place.  My Dad describes it as a combination of Beethoven,
Dvorak, and Copland.  In my opinion it also blends in numerous other
composers, so I guess you could say it's a synthesis of everything written
to date.

Anyway, answering the question about the "relationship between the
exploration of musical and non-musical issues in your works?," I explore
musical issues in a non-musical way (if that makes any sense).  In my
works, both issues tend to form I symbiotic relationship--they both tend
to grow off each other.

Without a program the ideas come one of two ways.  (1) When I start out
a piece, I improvise on the piano to get the ideas flowing.  Eventually
either my thoughts clarify and I develop the core idea of a piece or I go
away annoyed that I'm not writing anything worthwhile/am wasting my time.
(2) The second way is by spontaneous inspiration.  This may sound strange
but it really isn't.  Composers (or at least me) spend a lot of time
listening to music, playing music, writing music, etc.  Therefore it comes
as no surprise that when they're *not* thinking about music, it magically
appears.  As a matter of fact, the idea for my favorite song that I have
written so far (which is part of the symphony I am writing) came at 2 or 3
in the morning; I hopped out of bed and wrote it down at the piano (with
the practice pedal engaged such as not to wake up the rest of my family).

>2.  What is your conception of musical structure? (Rachmaninoff, for
>instance, saw his and others' works in terms of a single focal 'point'
>that everything else could be psychologically related to)

I'm not exactly sure what you're asking so I'll try and give every
possible answer.  As far as basic structure, there are various forms that
a composer has to express himself (or herself) in.  There are the sonata,
symphony, fugue, waltz, etc.  that form the basic packaging for the work.
Internally, the composer then either follows the established rules (a la
Mozart) or makes their own up (a la Beethoven).  In addition, the composer
writes either tonal, serial, modal, whatever, as far as they would like to
go.

Taking the question another way, every composer has their own style of
writing and with that comes a different sense of structure.  In a sense
everyone who has written and writes music are all answering the same
question but each from a different point of view.  They bear similarities
to some 'answers' and not others.

>3.  How specific are the guidelines you set for interpreters of your works?
>How much leeway away from these indications would you be happy to grant an
>interpreter in performance?

I'm not yet good at writing in a way that is completely clear, but in
spite of that, my guidelines are pretty loose.  In any well-written piece
of music, it is clear what the composer is trying to say, and only the
finest nuances could be pointed out by the composer or a well tuned-in
performer.  I hate it when I listen to music that could be played at any
tempo or with any expression without wrecking the mood or idea behind the
piece.  (Which is why I am agitated with a lot of Mozart's music.  He was
so genius he could conjure up a simple melody, orchestrate it, and boom,
that was that; he hardly ever, in my opinion, took a close enough look at
what he was writing to refine it to depth--with a lot of his music you
can't listen for depth.  Exceptions being his 40th Symphony, Clarinet
Concerto, The Magic Flute, and some others.  Maybe if he lived for another
20 years or so he would have turned out better.)

>4.  In what way do you feel that your own compositional activity has
>influenced your perception of other composers and their works?

Being a composer definitely makes understanding other composers an easier
task.  (Which was part of why Bernstein was so successful.) I previously
stated my grudge against Mozart; before I wrote music I couldn't even
listen to it--the paradox being I could listen to Vivaldi, Bach, and Haydn
just fine!  After furthering my craft as a composer, I now understand where
he's coming from and what to look for in his music.  I'm still not entire
impressed with his music although overly convinced of his talent.  Before
I wrote music I tended to stay with the really accessible and famous of
the greats, like Beethoven, Dvorak, Chopin, and Rachmaninoff, etc (The
last two b/c my Mom's family are huge fans of their music).  In writing
music I found myself wanting to learn about other composers.  First came
John Williams and his sublime scores to the Star Wars movies.  Then there
was Gustav Holst's Planets (the natural successor).  Also in my trip I
encounted, was stumped by, and later conquered Bruckner.  I'm certain if I
never wrote a note of music, his music would be a big question mark for me.
Anyway, in that manner I progressed all the way up to the 20th century and
some into the 17th centuries.  There is still music I can't understand/find
to be organized noise.  For example, Charles Ives and Bela Bartok (although
I like Kodaly just fine).  Writing music really makes you appriciate how
much effort these people put into their music.

>Of course these questions can be refined and added to; they are meant to
>be no more than a provisional springboard.  And of course questions of
>this kind are a hard ask, so a response to just one would be more than
>appreciated.

I guess the fact that I answered all of them and are still going still
will make you happy then? A couple of more coments about my music and
composition:

* The first work of mine ever performed was a movement to a string quartet.
It was in the spring concert of my 8th grade year in school.  I have yet to
finish the quartet, but I'll get to it eventually.  It wasn't performed by
a quartet but rather by a string ensemble.  The parts were distributed as
follows:  Violins:  3 firsts, 2 seconds Cellos:  2 firsts, 3 seconds.  (I
arranged it for 2 cello parts b/c there were no violists at my school.) I
didn't have the gumption to say look I want four instrumentalists, not 10,
besides I like the way it turned out so why complain? There was one part I
insisted had to be a solo violin, and it was so.  (Although I play violin,
I wasn't the soloist; which was good because it was performed by someone
better than me.) To make a long story short, I was nervious before the
performance but it turned out really well.  As I said at the begining of
the message I write with a very different voice.  Anyway as the song was
being played, the whole atmostphere of the room changed, in the begining
there was the typical noise from the audience, but by the end of the first
section the room was silent.  It was one of the happiest moments in my life
when my first performed work was not only well recieved, but got the first
standing ovation ever at an instrumental concert of the school I go to (so
said my orchestra teacher.) It was so different from what came before it (2
baroque pieces, and a medley from Beauty and the Beast) and from what was
after it (band music) that it stole the entire concert.  From a composers,
point of view:  "This is pretty cool, I didn't even perform my best song!"

* I as a composer are trying to be as optomistic as possible about my
carrer future.  I am going to try and get the symphony performed as well
as submit it to one of those composition contests.  We'll see how it turns
out.

* I think it'd be great if the common man started to appreciate classical
music again.  They're geting cheap entertainment from bands that are almost
talentless.  What's more they don't care who writes the song or even if it
is good.  Just as long as the performers are attractive and the music has
a thumping, mindnumbing ostinato, they're sold.  What this world needs is
another Bernstein.

Joseph Sowa