Composition lesson today

Today I had a composition lesson, the second one since classes began again this semester after the vacations. I showed him what I had done with my harpsichord piece. The comments were in relation to two main things in particular.

• Exploit more the polyphonic capabilities of the instrument. Most of the work just spun around monophonic musical ideas, which was in part the intention, but it is also true that this is not the sole intention of the piece.
• In relation to the previous remark, a richer harmonic language could be of much use. throughout the whole piece I stick to the same mode, one which I composed that is a D minor harmonic scale with G flat. Following a more Messiaen-like idea, my teacher suggested that I should combine different "modes," (pentatonic, hexatonic, octatonic, major, minor, etc.) to give more harmonic "and even melodic) variety to the piece. This is a very interesting idea, which I think will solve the main problem of the piece, which I shall discuss now.

 A harpsichord, because why not.

The main problem I found with the piece is that most of it seems to be a prelude to something that never comes, as if there was no real music going on, just insinuations of something that might be. This, as a concept, is not wrong or bad. What worries me is that it comes not from a conscious decision but rather from careless and sloppy writing. I saw the process of writing this almost as a bureaucratic paperwork, just filling in the space with notes that seemed right. I don't want to mean that it was all unintentional or that I didn't think of the music. I had a very clear rhythmic idea, and the harmonic mode I chose has been in my mind for months, but the music was very raw, unrefined in the worst sense. 

The problem is that I tend to forget that composing is, in itself, both means and end. Just as performing, when you compose there should be nothing left at random, nothing should be unjustified. At least this is how I see it for my own music. I hate having notes that are there just because I happened to put my pencil on that spot and I might as well draw a note here instead of there, it looks nicer on the paper. Such music should be burned and destroyed, if it ever comes from my hand. It is worthless. I need to focus more on spending time in front of the blank page, just thinking. Organizing my ideas, developing them, making them my own, even bleeding them. I need to work harder on them, that's all. 

I leave you now with what I am listening, in case you are interested. 

Johannes Brahms (yeah, still with him) - Symphony No. 2 op. 73