Techniques of the Contemporary Composer [Paperback]

David Cope (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0028647378 | ISBN-13: 978-0028647371 | Publication Date: August 7, 1997 | Edition: 1

This text is a practical guide to the compositional techniques, resources, and technologies available to composers today. Each chapter traces the development of traditional and modern elements that form the foundation of music in the late twentieth century. Among the subjects discussed are interval exploration, serialism, pitch-class sets, twelve-tone music, electronic music, algorithmic composition, and indeterminacy.

Product Details

• Paperback: 270 pages
• Publisher: Schirmer; 1 edition (August 7, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0028647378
• ISBN-13: 978-0028647371
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #115,963 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent as an Overview, October 21, 2002

By 

Christopher Forbes "weirdears" (Brooklyn,, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Techniques of the Contemporary Composer (Paperback)

This book attempts to introduce most of the important techniques of modern music since 1945. This is a tall order. The years from 1945 to about 1975 were years of explosive development of new musical languages, perhaps more explosive and diverse than at any other time in musical history. What impresses most about this book is how well Cope outlines most of these techniques and how non-dogmatic and practical his approach really is.

I have to strongly disagree with one of the reviewers below. This book is certainly not in depth...and Cope's fund of techniques tend to favor the modernist and stop about 1975 or so,,,but honestly, most innovation in compositional technique did stop about 1975. Music written since that time has tended to develop one or more of these techniques, but not really break new ground. (Even in electronic music, the new ground broken has been primarily technical, innovative in instruments and computer usage, but not really innovative in basic langauge.

None of the sections in this book gets an exhaustive cover. If you find yourself interested in twleve-tone or serial composition, you may need to aquire other books...if your interest is peaked by aleatoric procedures, other books will be needed. The purpose of this book is not to be exhaustive, but to whet the appetite of the younger composer. I am no longer a young composer, and yet I found some techniques that, while not new to me, I had never previously considered in any serious way. (The chapter on Pitch Class Sets was excellent. I had never thought seriously about these as compositional techniques, more as methods of analysis. I found the chapter to be rich and to spur many ideas for both my compositions and my improvisational group work.)

There are some problems with the book. The section on Algorythmic Composition and Computer music is highly outdated. This is arguably the one area of music where significant innovation has taken place in the past 25 years. To leave out any mention of MIDI and digital synthesis...as well as serious discussion on fractals and interactive music, is not good. Perhaps a further revision of the book will try to keep up with this fast growing area of music.

Also, the final chapter on integration and eclecticism left me disappointed. As the academic stnagle-hold of high modernism fades, styles continue to diversify, and the old debates about tonal or pan-tonal music fade into a murmur, it is becoming obvious that the techniques described in the book are just that, techniques. They are probably not the basis for a complete personal style. Style develops when composers artfully combine many of these techniques, used imaginatively. As such, the integration chapter should be the most relevant. Instead, it feels perfunctory...each level of integration is described in a paragraph or two, and these levels aren't sufficiently differentiated to really mean anything.

Still, on the whole, the book is a useful overview and would make a good text for an introductory composition course. Any composer, regardless of his or her final vision, should have a working knowledge of all of these techniques. You may not use them ultimately, but without a practical understanding of them, your craft will only remain half formed.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This book is worthwhile, March 29, 2000

By 

Phillip Hintze (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Techniques of the Contemporary Composer (Paperback)

This book is geared for a younger composer who hasn't had experience in writing in a contemporary style, or is unfamiliar with some techniques such as pitch-sets. It is practical, and it gives some exercises at the end of each chapter to give some hands-on experience with these techniques. Sure, there may not be anything groundbreaking here, but if you're unfamiliar with contemporary techniques, take a good look at this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good resource, August 14, 2005

By 

Music Matt "mattintosh" (Baltimore, MD United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Techniques of the Contemporary Composer (Paperback)

A good book that contains general information about composition techniques. I wish it was slightly more detailed. Nonetheless, it is a great book to have if your are a composer. I often find myself looking through this book when I get a case of writer's block.