Preparing Parts Part 1: Acknowledging the Task
Parts: that mountain of work you have to do after you think you're done with a piece. Yep, the sweet victory of the recent completion has given way to the reality of making twenty-seven individual parts. Party.
An accurate depiction of my emotional state.
I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that preparing parts is probably the most consequential task that we composers have...well, aside from actually writing the music. Those score snippets are the primary method of communication between composers and performers; they affect how smoothly and efficiently rehearsals can run and, ultimately, guide a collection of individuals to perform as a group. Moreover, beyond their importance as a product, the process of creating parts is a crucial revisional phase that allows one to catch mistakes and reconsider orchestration from a musical, practical, and even personal standpoint.
Side note: Whenever I reach this phase, I think about the profound insight that Robert Elhai shared with me: no matter what you have in the score, remember that the players are playing lines.
(If the gravity of this statement is not apparent, give it time.)
Stay tuned for part 2 where I discuss the details of preparing parts for Threads!
