Why are classical musicians so content with playing Mozart, Bach etc and not composing their own pieces?
I am a performer, not a composer. When you play Bach, you need to play Bach and not Bach’s harmonic sequence with your own melody. When people come to classical concerts they want to hear inspired performances of famous works, not improvised riffs by someone who isn’t nearly as good as the original composer. A musician’s legacy is his or her musical interpretation of the work, an interpretation that gives the listener goosebumps or touches deep emotions. If I go to a concert of Brahms string quartets I want hear an inspired performance of Brahms’ music, not Joe Schmoe’s unskilled “improvements” on Brahms. Lack of improvisation is not a fault in classical music, it’s part of its nature. You don’t have to like it, but stop criticizing other musicians for doing what their music requires of them. Classical musicians have enough respect for the music they perform not to decide they can make a better melody. Not everyone has the talent to improvise, including some of the people who do it reg
