Expressive Circles—Original Concept Regarding the Structural and Dramaturgical Aspects of the Musical Composition in the Piece EXPRESSIVE CIRCLES—Three Pieces for Piano Trio: Composer’s Self-Reflection

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

In this article the author, who is a composer, introduces his/her autopoetics and the technique of expressive circles. The author first reveals the sources of inspiration and influences stemming from the history of music and other arts, and then offers an analysis of the compositional principles and their artistic outcomes. This is done in a precise and systematic way, understandable to fellow composers, students, as well as anyone interested in the new compositional tendencies in the 21st century. Regarding the accuracy of the analysis, we must trust the composer. 

Since this is not a standard music theory article, but rather artistic research - i.e., a disclosure of the artist's own method - the following advice can be offered regarding improving the structure, contents, and the overall quality and future impact of this text.

First of all, the author should clearly state the motivation for writing this article - the "why". Why should it matter to others? Is it because of the presumed originality of the method? Or because it advocates for the revival and relevance of romantic and surrealist idea(l)s in the 21st century? Is the motivation primarily educational-didactic, or poietic? These and similar questions should be asked in the Introduction, and then answered in the Conclusion. 

Regarding one of the author's main sources of inspiration, surrealism, the author fails to elaborate on the fact that this is a somewhat controversial term in the history of musical avant-gardes of the 20th century. The author should have at least mentioned some of the most important musicologists and aestheticians who have written about surrealism in music, such as Adorno, or Max Paddison (himself an adherent of Adorno). The author is inspired by Hanna Kulenty, but he should have at least touched upon other composers who have written about their attraction to surrealism, such as George Antheil in the beginning of the 20th century, or, in the 21st century, Anne LeBaron, among others. Of course, the composer whom many associate with surrealism in music, Erik Satie, must be mentioned, as well as historical and contemporary responses to his work, in order to draw comparison with the present author's own position and method. 

The discussion of minimalism as a source of inspiration is quite superficial. There are many strands of minimalism and postminimalism, and plenty of literature on both, especially regarding the use of the terms "repetition" and "reduction". So, the author should provide more context before explaining how his/her own work relates to specific variants of minimalist and, especially, postminimalist reductionism and repetitiveness.  

To summarise, the article will greatly benefit from, on the one hand, explaining the reasons for writing about the technique of expressive circles, and, on the other hand, from engaging more with the context and providing direct comparisons to some historical and present-day styles and individual poetics with which the author feels a kinship. 

Author Response

Comments 1:
In this article the author, who is a composer, introduces his/her autopoetics and the technique of expressive circles. The author first reveals the sources of inspiration and influences stemming from the history of music and other arts, and then offers an analysis of the compositional principles and their artistic outcomes. This is done in a precise and systematic way, understandable to fellow composers, students, as well as anyone interested in the new compositional tendencies in the 21st century. Regarding the accuracy of the analysis, we must trust the composer. 
(...)
To summarise, the article will greatly benefit from, on the one hand, explaining the reasons for writing about the technique of expressive circles, and, on the other hand, from engaging more with the context and providing direct comparisons to some historical and present-day styles and individual poetics with which the author feels a kinship. 

 

Response 1:

Dear Reviewer,

I would like to thank you very much for the positive review of my article. I am glad to hear that you consider the text to be understandable for different groups of readers, as I wanted it to be approachable for the both composers and instrumentalists (practitioners), and the analytics. I am also glad to hear that you note that my artistic outcomes are described in the article in a precise and systematic way, that helps to understand the compositional principles of Expressive Circles.

I would also like to thank you for your suggestions and advice considering the article. I will shortly address in the article the issue of “why part” you have mentioned in your review. Additionally, although my main intention in the article is to present the basics of my own compositional technique, I will take into consideration your suggestions about broadening the context a little bit more, considering the initial inspirations.

Thank you for your time and for an insightful opinion - each positive review brings me more motivation to not only compose, but also write and describe the outcomes of my artistic research.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

A review of the text titled
"Expressive Circles – Original Concept Regarding the Structural
and Dramaturgical Aspects of the Musical Composition in the Piece EXPRESSIVE CIRCLES – Three Pieces for Piano Trio.
Composer’s Self-Reflection"

 

 

            The paper is 25 pages long and has five distinct sections. The structure of the document is correct and typical for this type of paper (note an error: two of the chapters are numbered as 4, while the summary should be numbered as 5). It also includes a well-referenced bibliography and high-quality original drawings. The author presents their own compositional concept, titled "Expressive Circles," which is related to the structural and dramaturgical elements of musical composition. The presented text combines philosophy, musical aesthetics, and the composer's creative practice, revealing both the conceptual and technical foundations of the creation. The author uses their own work – a piano triptych – to expose these phenomena as an illustration of the theoretical assumptions.

 

 

Advantages:

• The "Expressive Circles" concept is new and original one, set in and drawing from surrealism, surconventionalism, unism, and minimalism.
• The author combines philosophical reflections with compositional practice, introducing an original level of musical analysis, accompanied by commentary from the author.
• An interdisciplinary approach to painting, literature, and philosophy (Herbert, Plato's Triad, Frankl).
• The language is essayistic and self-reflective – articles written in this manner are quite rare, but it's an interesting and engaging approach. Most importantly, it works well in the reviewed article.
• A completely new approach to composition, a current and important topic worth exploring and highlighting.
• The composer's own commentary on their own work – a very positive move on the composer's part, an example for performers and music theorists to follow.

 

Shortcomings / suggestions:

• There is an unnecessary period after the title.
• A numbering error: two of the chapters are numbered as 4.
• A thorough explanation of the term "idea" is necessary but missing – meaning of the term is too broad – a clarification of the context in which the term is used in the submitted text is needed.
• All scores should have the same resolution – it seems this is not the case (some scores look sharper and clearer than others),
• "References" section: Violetta Kostka – an unnecessary double period after "Tom 7" text.
• About the reference: Szerszenowicz, Jacek. 2020. Between Surconventionalism and Surrealism: Marcel Chyrzyński's "Ukiyo-e" Cycle and Lidia Zielińska's "Ukiyo" in the Face of Japanese and European Tradition. In A Musical Work in the Face of the Future and the Present. Edited by Anna Nowak and Barbara Mielcarek-Krzyżanowska, Bydgoszcz: Wydawnictwo Akademii Muzycznej im. Feliks Nowowiejski w Bydgoszczy, pp. 395-412. – In my opinion the reference should be changed from local to international, also more precise descriptions of surconventionalism and surrealism are needed – there is a lot of this type of literature; the author should cite more explicit literature in this case.
• It would be useful to clarify the status of "Expressive Circles" – is it a form, strategy, technique, or general idea? Various terms appear interchangeably throughout the text – I think it would be better for the reader's comprehension if the terminology was unified and clear.

 

 

            The article is appropriately structured, it consists of rich theoretical and philosophical descriptions (in terms of aesthetics and inspirations), a technical section (description of three models of the form: closed, open, inverted), an analysis of specific examples from the score, rich graphic illustrations (scores), and structural diagrams – all of which facilitate readability and following the author's narrative.

 

 

            I rate the text very highly as interesting and compelling for contemporary musicians. The text is valuable and engaging. My evaluation is positive, with a request for minor corrections, which I have included above in this review. After these corrections to the text, the article is suitable for publication and no further review is necessary. The text fits very well into the subject matter of the Arts magazine, expanding its interdisciplinary values.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Comments 1:

Advantages:

• The "Expressive Circles" concept is new and original one, set in and drawing from surrealism, surconventionalism, unism, and minimalism.
• The author combines philosophical reflections with compositional practice, introducing an original level of musical analysis, accompanied by commentary from the author.
• An interdisciplinary approach to painting, literature, and philosophy (Herbert, Plato's Triad, Frankl).
• The language is essayistic and self-reflective – articles written in this manner are quite rare, but it's an interesting and engaging approach. Most importantly, it works well in the reviewed article.
• A completely new approach to composition, a current and important topic worth exploring and highlighting.
• The composer's own commentary on their own work – a very positive move on the composer's part, an example for performers and music theorists to follow.

 

Shortcomings / suggestions:

• There is an unnecessary period after the title.
• A numbering error: two of the chapters are numbered as 4.
• A thorough explanation of the term "idea" is necessary but missing – meaning of the term is too broad – a clarification of the context in which the term is used in the submitted text is needed.
• All scores should have the same resolution – it seems this is not the case (some scores look sharper and clearer than others),
• "References" section: Violetta Kostka – an unnecessary double period after "Tom 7" text.
• About the reference: Szerszenowicz, Jacek. 2020. Between Surconventionalism and Surrealism: Marcel Chyrzyński's "Ukiyo-e" Cycle and Lidia Zielińska's "Ukiyo" in the Face of Japanese and European Tradition. In A Musical Work in the Face of the Future and the Present. Edited by Anna Nowak and Barbara Mielcarek-Krzyżanowska, Bydgoszcz: Wydawnictwo Akademii Muzycznej im. Feliks Nowowiejski w Bydgoszczy, pp. 395-412. – In my opinion the reference should be changed from local to international, also more precise descriptions of surconventionalism and surrealism are needed – there is a lot of this type of literature; the author should cite more explicit literature in this case.
• It would be useful to clarify the status of "Expressive Circles" – is it a form, strategy, technique, or general idea? Various terms appear interchangeably throughout the text – I think it would be better for the reader's comprehension if the terminology was unified and clear.

 

Response 1:

Dear Reviewer,

Thank you very much for your insightful and positive review of my article. I am glad that my concept of Expressive Circles is perceived as an interesting and compelling one, and you find the text valuable and engaging.

I am particularly pleased to note your appreciation of the fact, that it’s a composer's own commentary – I do believe that the creator should be able to describe his or her work and talk about the principles standing behind the creative ideas, as it may be not only interesting for others, but also it may inspire the creator himself/herself and open new ways of developing the ideas further.

I am also glad to read that you find the essayistic and self-reflective language works well in the article, as I wanted the text to be approachable for both the practitioners (composers, instrumentalists) and the music theorists.

Thank you very much for your suggestions regarding the clarity of the article and your editorial comments. I will correct the numbering error, delete the unnecessary periods and take into consideration all your suggestions, which may improve of overall reception of the article.

I am grateful for your time and the positive review as it motivates me to keep talking about my compositional strategy and sharing the outcomes of my artistic search.

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Scientific review of the article: Expressive Circles – Original Concept Regarding the Structural and Dramaturgical Aspects of the Musical Composition in the Piece EXPRESSIVE CIRCLES – Three Pieces for Piano Trio. Composer’s Self-Reflection.

Year: 2025

Journal: Arts

Introduction and Assessment of Originality

This article presents the author’s concept of so-called expressive circles as an innovative tool for organizing the structure and dramaturgy of a contemporary musical work. The author derives his model from multifaceted inspirations – both philosophical (the Platonic triad of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness, references to Romanticism and Surrealism) and purely musical (surconventionalism, minimalism, Unism, the work of  Hanna Kulenty, references to Lutoslawski). This grounding of the concept in a broad theoretical context constitutes the work’s significant originality. The development and practical illustration of his own compositional technique should be considered rare in the academic literature, especially in such a convincing and  analytical manner.

Substantive Value and Contribution to the Advancement of Knowledge

The article makes a signifficant contribution to contemporary reflection on techniques for organizing musical material. The proposal of three types of Expressive Circles (closed, open, and inverted structures) offers new tools for analysis and composition, transcending established formal categories (e.g., rondo, variation, or arch form) and enriching them with a dramatic aspect related to repetition, escalation, and musical trance. The distinction between two types of trance (logarithm and drive) and their musical translation into narrative and expression is valuable

The high substantive value of the conc ept is confirmed by its rich grounding in literature (both Polish and international) and its creative reference to philosophical and aesthetic inspirations. The author expertly utilizes concepts from the philosophy of music (e.g., Goehr 1992; Rocconi 2012; Gardner 2002), the theory of form (Chominski 1983; Green 1979; Macpherson 2006; Stein 1995), and modern analytical concepts  (Szwajgier 2015; Kostka 2017).

Presentation and Argumentation 

The text is characterized by a logical structure, clear argumentation, and skillful guidance of the reader through complex issues. The introductory sections of the text effectively introduce the relationship between form, content, expression, and musical dramaturgy. The extensive discussion of philosophical inspirations and reflections on the meaning o f creation is particularly valuable, a feature rarely found in typical works on composition theoryy.

Detailed descriptions of the three types of Expressive Circles structures are clearly illustrated with diagrams and musical examples from his own composition, making the argument not only credible but also practical. Analyses of the pieces Continuum, Forward,  demonstrate how the concept translates into specific compositional decisions and the work's dramaturgy.. 

Stylistic Values and Communicability

The article is written in clear, communicative language, maintaining a high level of scholarly accuracy. Not oonly is the clarity of the description of compositional techniques noteworthy, but also the ability to reflect on his own cre ative practice, conducted with detachment and awareness of historical and contemporary contexts. The author maintains a balance between the analytical and philosophical layers, making the work attractive to both practitioners and music theorists.

Specific Remarks

The selection and numbe r of cited sources are appropriate; the article is embedded in current musicological and philosophical discourse. The footnotes and bibliography are formally and substantively accurate (I note the presence of citations from CrossRef and PubMed where possible). All illustrations, diagrams, and musical examples are clearly presented and provide valuable support to the argument. The author  consciously addresses the potential limitations of his own concept, emphasizing that Expressive Circles is not a dogmatic system but an open-ended creative strategy.

Recommendation

This work meets all the requirements for scholarly publications in the field of music theory and contemporary composition. It constitutes an original and valuable contribution to the reflection on modern form-creating techniques and musical dramaturgy. I strongly recommend accepting the article for publicationn.

 

Author Response

Comments 1:

Introduction and Assessment of Originality

This article presents the author’s concept of so-called expressive circles as an innovative tool for organizing the structure and dramaturgy of a contemporary musical work. The author derives his model from multifaceted inspirations – both philosophical (the Platonic triad of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness, references to Romanticism and Surrealism) and purely musical (surconventionalism, minimalism, Unism, the work of  Hanna Kulenty, references to Lutoslawski). This grounding of the concept in a broad theoretical context constitutes the work’s significant originality. The development and practical illustration of his own compositional technique should be considered rare in the academic literature, especially in such a convincing and  analytical manner.

Substantive Value and Contribution to the Advancement of Knowledge

The article makes a signifficant contribution to contemporary reflection on techniques for organizing musical material. The proposal of three types of Expressive Circles (closed, open, and inverted structures) offers new tools for analysis and composition, transcending established formal categories (e.g., rondo, variation, or arch form) and enriching them with a dramatic aspect related to repetition, escalation, and musical trance. The distinction between two types of trance (logarithm and drive) and their musical translation into narrative and expression is valuable

The high substantive value of the conc ept is confirmed by its rich grounding in literature (both Polish and international) and its creative reference to philosophical and aesthetic inspirations. The author expertly utilizes concepts from the philosophy of music (e.g., Goehr 1992; Rocconi 2012; Gardner 2002), the theory of form (Chominski 1983; Green 1979; Macpherson 2006; Stein 1995), and modern analytical concepts  (Szwajgier 2015; Kostka 2017).

Presentation and Argumentation 

The text is characterized by a logical structure, clear argumentation, and skillful guidance of the reader through complex issues. The introductory sections of the text effectively introduce the relationship between form, content, expression, and musical dramaturgy. The extensive discussion of philosophical inspirations and reflections on the meaning o f creation is particularly valuable, a feature rarely found in typical works on composition theoryy.

Detailed descriptions of the three types of Expressive Circles structures are clearly illustrated with diagrams and musical examples from his own composition, making the argument not only credible but also practical. Analyses of the pieces Continuum, Forward,  demonstrate how the concept translates into specific compositional decisions and the work's dramaturgy.. 

Stylistic Values and Communicability

The article is written in clear, communicative language, maintaining a high level of scholarly accuracy. Not oonly is the clarity of the description of compositional techniques noteworthy, but also the ability to reflect on his own cre ative practice, conducted with detachment and awareness of historical and contemporary contexts. The author maintains a balance between the analytical and philosophical layers, making the work attractive to both practitioners and music theorists.

Specific Remarks

The selection and numbe r of cited sources are appropriate; the article is embedded in current musicological and philosophical discourse. The footnotes and bibliography are formally and substantively accurate (I note the presence of citations from CrossRef and PubMed where possible). All illustrations, diagrams, and musical examples are clearly presented and provide valuable support to the argument. The author  consciously addresses the potential limitations of his own concept, emphasizing that Expressive Circles is not a dogmatic system but an open-ended creative strategy.

Recommendation

This work meets all the requirements for scholarly publications in the field of music theory and contemporary composition. It constitutes an original and valuable contribution to the reflection on modern form-creating techniques and musical dramaturgy. I strongly recommend accepting the article for publicationn.


Response 1:

Dear Reviewer,

I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your highly positive and substantive review of my article. I am pleased to note your appreciation of my presented concept of Expressive Circles. It is particularly important to me that you perceive the article valuable for both practitioners and music theorists.

I am also very glad to read your regard to the fact, that as a composer I present my own concept and technique in a convincing and analytical manner. I am also aware, that it is not that common among modern composers to describe their ideas through text, and I have always believed, that the ability to talk about own works and their theoretical background is beneficial to both creator and the listeners/readers.

I also appreciate your positive comments about the structure and presentation of the text and the acknowledgement of the original and valuable contribution to the field of composition. Your positive review proves to me that it is worth the effort to prepare all the diagrams and excerpts from the scores, and motivates me to continue to talk about my own compositional strategies and share the outcomes of my artistic research.