We explain what a composition is in different disciplines: music, photography, architecture, dance, literature, chemistry and more.
What is a composition?
A composition is a whole made up of its parts, that is, It is that which is made up of several things that are put together in a certain order and manner, in such a way that they form a whole. unified. It is a term used in many and very different contexts.
The word “composition” comes from Latin compositionderived from the verb I will compose (“compose”, formed by the prefix com-“together”, and the verb I will put“put” or “place”), translatable as “form a whole by putting the parts together.” Despite its multiple meanings, it almost always refers to this original meaning: that of uniting elements to form an organized whole.
Thus, it is possible to say that the human body is made up of its different organs, or to say that a city is made up of the sum of its different neighborhoods. In these cases, both body and city can be considered as compositions. However, the most common thing is that this word is used to refer to the things that human beings can do (that is, those that can be done). compose), since this verb often expresses a certain tone of intention, that is, of something done at will .
Composition in music
In the field of music, Composition is understood as both a finished musical work and the art of constructing it. (that is, to compose it); This is why those who create and write their own music are known as composerswhile those who execute the work are known as interpreters. The former create the music, the latter reproduce it from their notes.
Musical composition, therefore, involves the original arrangement of the different sounds (represented by musical notes), so that every work is made up of an organized sequence of them.
Composition in photography
In the language of photography, it is known as image composition or photographic composition. the way in which the different objects that will be photographed are located within the photo frame . That is, this is the name given to the location given within the photo to all of its elements. It is a term also used in painting and cinema, to refer to the location of objects in the painting or on the screen.
Strictly speaking, photographic composition is about finding a point of view from which to photograph. By moving the camera and changing the location of his body, the photographer organizes the objects of reality within the photo, and thus composes an original point of view, that is, a novel look. They are elements of photographic composition:
- The framing, that is, what is left inside and outside the photo.
- The lighting of the scene.
- The focus, that is, the total or selective appearance of the photographed elements.
- The location of objects within the frame.
Composition in architecture
In the field of architecture, composition is called arrangement of the elements of an architectural work that is, the way in which they are ordered to produce certain effects on the final result.
The architectural composition refers to both the visible elements of the façade of a building (such as windows, doors, cornices, among others) as well as structural elements or basic (such as columns, floors and mezzanines, walls, among others). This organization of the elements of the work is part of the particular recognizable style or tendency of an architect.
dance composition
In the case of dance and performing arts in general, the organization of the elements that will appear on stage is called composition. In the specific case of dance and ballet, composition refers to choreography, that is, to the succession of specific movements that constitute the work and that are executed by the dancers or dancers. The people in charge of creating this organization are known as choreographers.
Choreographies can be of very different types, both individual and group, and generally respond to a general plan or scheme (called planigraphy). They are also common in disciplines such as artistic gymnastics, figure skating and cinematography.
literary composition
In the case of literature, composition is understood to mean art of creating a text, that is, writing it in a graceful, harmonious, elegant or poetic way which is equivalent to the creation of the literary work.
It is not very common, however, to refer to literary works (poems, stories, novels, among others) as “compositions”, despite the fact that their composition also consists of the grouping of linguistic elements in a certain order. Even so, in some Spanish-speaking countries a reflection or essay of a literary, school or monographic nature can be called “composition”.
Chemical composition
When we talk about the chemical composition of a substance or matter, we refer to the set of chemical elements (atoms, molecules or larger structures) that constitute it . For example, it is known that the chemical composition of water involves two types of atoms for each molecule: two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, as expressed by the formula H2EITHER.
In this way, all known matter is composed of atoms organized in a particular way, which determines its physical-chemical properties and its behavior in the environment. The study of the composition of matter is the primary objective of chemistry and its branches or subdisciplines.
References
- “Composition (disambiguation)” on Wikipedia.
- “Composition” in the Dictionary of the Language of the Royal Spanish Academy.
- “Etymology of Composition” in the Online Spanish Etymological Dictionary.
