thought

the idea of a 'composer' being separate from their creation, if they do not perform it. this came because i don't see modern musicians/bands as being 'composers' in the traditional sense - their experience of music and their personal lives are so intertwined with their works, and their works can only be fully appreciated through the experience of their performance of them.

i see the problem of this with people like liszt, schubert, etc, when performing their own works. their works, however, have the ability to stand alone and be interpreted by others. but, lo!, the magic of the 'recording' and the nearly infinite ties it creates between a performer and the work.

composition = a work as a complete entity alone
recording = a work tied to its creator in history, its purest form as inseparable from its creator/performer

?