A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Composition

COMPOSITION means literally 'putting together,' and is now almost exclusively applied to the invention of music—a novelist or a poet being never spoken of as a composer except by way of analogy, but a producer of music being almost invariably designated by that title. 'Gedichtet,' says Beethoven, 'oder wie man sagt, componirt' (Briefe, Nohl, no. 200). As far as the construction of a whole movement from the original ideas is concerned the word is perhaps not ill adapted, but for the ideas themselves nothing could be more inappropriate. For the mysterious process of originating them the word 'invention' seems more suitable, but even that does not at all describe it with certainty. It is the fruit sometimes of concentration and sometimes of accident; it can hardly be forced with success, though very ingenious imitations of other peoples' ideas to be made to look like new may be arrived at by practice and the habitual study of existing music. Nevertheless the title of composer, though only half applicable, is an honourable one, and those who do put together other people's ideas in the manner which should best justify the title are generally those who are most seldom called by it.

[ C. H. H. P. ]