Already for a several weeks I struggle with one of the parts from one of my suites of chamber music.

I like the method of first writing a story, “libretto”, and then composing music to it.

Yet at times it doesn’t work. Let’s say a story has romantic calm ending, so I  intend to write a lyrical slow movement, but when I finish, it doesn’t work as a whole together with other movements.

In that case, I try to forget the story and think about the music in terms of tempos, pulses and characters of each part.

For instance, what I did now, when got stuck – I completely erased all the notes that I wrote in the part. But before starting all over again from a scratch, I analyzed what I had before in previous parts and thought what is missing to complete the piece. Then I made some sketches and they seem work pretty well.

Often imagining a story gives us an inspiration, but then the tools – composition form knowledge, simple logic of contrast, chord progressions, development logic, – take over and we must obey.

Music has its own life and you have to let it live, respect it. You have to do your work and then it will work for you. Sense the music. It can change your initial story and take you to a nice journey you didn’t expect!

Last, but not the least – respect listeners. Be simple enough and mysterious at the same time. Most of the people like simple, clear emotions, they like “happy end”. At the moment I think that music should entertain and make one think. Help the listener to spend a good time and give some material for thought.