The Cambridge companion to composition / edited by Toby Young.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction -- Part I. Creative processes -- Inspiration -- From space to sound: analysis as a compositional tool -- Ex uno plures: strategies of linear expansion -- Instruments and invention -- Uncovered grave: from sketch to score -- Part II. Techniques -- Composing for ensemble -- Composing for orchestra -- Composing for voice -- Composing for choir -- Composing for the stage -- Composing for the screen -- Part III. Styles, conventions, and issues -- Dots, squiggles, and words: notation in recent music -- Sonorities and spectra -- Electronic composition: histories and affordances -- Transcultural composing -- Nothing new under the sun: composition as adaptation -- Composition and ecological listening -- Part IV. Building a career -- Finding your voice -- Beyond the notes: how to tell your story, and who needs to know -- Practical advice for emerging composers.

"There are as many ways of creating music as there are composers in the world, with a vast array of possible methods and practices. This book provides essential critical and practical tools for composers as they try to navigate this complex landscape, whilst also offering provocations for practitioners discovering their own voices and solidifying their place in their musical communities. Designed to be a companion in the truest sense, the book offers practical support throughout the creative process and thought-provoking insights on technical questions for a range of compositional approaches"-- Provided by Publishers.