Musical revisionism

In many contemporary films, novels and musicals, writers have built their plotlines through retelling traditional or pre-existing narratives from different points of view. Composers often use revisionist approaches in their work. Much of the earliest music written for more than one part uses a cantus firmus technique, in which pre-existing plainsong is rewritten in new note values to provide the building blocks for a new composition. The technique of parodying the music of others has also been around almost as long as music itself. More recently, covering music by other artists has become increasingly common. Some composers use revisionist approaches to create purposeful, programmatic implications in their work. Musical revisionism can also be found in contemporary music written for neither stage nor screen. Such music tends to use revisionism to generate a particular feeling through referring to other well-known pieces.