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by Jos Kunst (1992)
Author's note to the score.
If the present score is any good, it should, on its own, be able to provide the intelligent reader with a fairly clear and precise overall conception of the music meant to be made from it. This constitutes, in fact, the only way in which written scores may gain real substance and consistency in the world of music: by achieving the same radical separation from their individual makers as non-written pieces and styles do. – Moreover, it is my considered opinion that, in an important sense, each piece's composer actually ceases to exist with its publication in ne varietur form. Should he try to keep (re)composing it, after having had his natural fun with it during his lifetime, that is: while actually working on it, he would really be behaving like some kind of vampire. (One does feel he shouldn't.)
Therefore musicians interested in doing the present piece should answer all questions they are asked, or themselves would like to ask, about it by referring to their own conception of the music as a whole, and not in any other way. This is better both for their integrity as musicians and for the musical coherence and quality of the result. If they have no such conception, they should not be thinking of doing it.
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