A composer is a person who writes music. The term refers particularly to someone who writes music in some type of musical notation; thus, allowing others to perform the music. This distinguishes the composer from a musician who improvises or plays an instrument. For other uses, see Music (disambiguation). ... Hand-written musical notation by J.S. Bach: beginning of the Prelude from the Suite for Lute in G minor BWV 995 (transcription of Cello Suite No. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... A musician is a person who plays or composes music. ... Philosophically, improvisation often focuses on bringing ones personal awareness into the moment, and on developing a profound understanding for the action one is doing. ... Intended for a purpose other than mechanical work, in particular a refined one. ...

The level of distinction between composers and other musicians also varies, which affects issues such as copyright and the deference given to individual interpretations of a particular piece of music. For example, in the development of classical music in Europe, the function of composing music initially had no greater importance than the function of performing music. The preservation of individual compositions received little attention, and musicians generally had no qualms about modifying compositions for performance. Over time, however, the written notation of the composer has come to be treated as strict instructions, from which performers should not deviate without good reason. Performers do, however, play the music and interpret it in a way that is all their own. Copyright symbol Copyright is a set of exclusive rights regulating the use of a particular expression of an idea or information. ... Classical music is a broad, somewhat imprecise term, referring to music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of, European art, ecclesiastical and concert music, encompassing a broad period from roughly 1000 to the present day. ...

The term "composer" is often used specifically to mean a composer in the Western tradition of classical music. In popular and folk music, the composer is typically called a songwriter (since the music generally takes the form of a song.) Popular music is music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and are disseminated by one or more of the mass media. ... Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and for the common people. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... A song is a relatively short musical composition for the human voice (commonly accompanied by other musical instruments), which features words (lyrics). ...

Quotations

• “The first requirement for a composer is to be dead.” (Arthur Honegger, “Je suis compositeur”, 1951)

• “I am a composer in search of oblivion; and I‘m always slightly ashamed to admit that I compose.” (Alexander Borodin, Letter to Lydia Karmalina)

• “The modern composer builds his works on the basis of truth.” (Claudio Monteverdi, “Fifth Book of Madrigals” 1605, Preface)

• “I may not be a first-rate composer, but I am a first-class second-rate composer!” (Richard Strauss, quoted in Del Mar, Richard Strauss, 1962)

• “One day I’ll be able to relax a bit, and try and become a good composer.” (Benjamin Britten, Letter to Imogen Holst, 1968)

• “Joy is not in things, but in us.” Richard Wagner

• "A good composer does not borrow, he steals." Igor Stravinsky

Arthur Honegger in 1921. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... Portrait of Borodin Alexander Porfirevich Borodin (Александр Порфирьевич Бородин in Cyrillic, Aleksandr Porfirevič Borodin in transliteration) (31 Oct. ... Portrait of Claudio Monteverdi in Venice, 1640, by Bernardo Strozzi. ... 1605 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Richard Strauss Richard Strauss (June 11, 1864 – September 8, 1949) was a German composer of the late Romantic era, particularly noted for his tone poems and operas. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH (November 22, 1913 Lowestoft, Suffolk - December 4, 1976 Aldeburgh, Suffolk) was a British composer, conductor, and pianist. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813 – February 13, 1883) was an influential German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his operas (or music dramas as he later came to call them). ... Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (Russian: Игорь Фёдорович Стравинский, Igor Fëdorovič Stravinskij) (June 17, 1882 – April 6, 1971) was a Russian composer best known for three compositions from his earlier, Russian period: LOiseau de feu (The Firebird) (1910), Petrushka (1911), and Le sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring) (1913). ...

See also

• Music manuscript
• List of composers
• Freemuse
• Film score

Sample of hand-copied music manuscript, in ink, of a piece composed for piano. ... Back to Composer article. ... FREEMUSE - THE WORLD FORUM ON MUSIC AND CENSORSHIP is an independent international organization advocating freedom of expression for musicians and composers worldwide. ... A film score is the music in a film, generally written for the film and often used to heighten emotions provoked by the imagery on the screen or by the dialogue. ...

Notes