In Mainka's case, his theoretical work cannot be separated from his composing: the one is unthinkable without the other. His efforts at conceptualization are aimed exclusively at recognizing and examining connections, where "examining" means a constant effort to relate each laboriously discovered concept to an idea. For Mainka, examination is a lively discourse conducted from different directions and unexpected angles; and theory, rather than distorting the act of composition, still less functioning as its opposite, serves as a point of departure and a destination. It is a fortunate state of affairs – and not only for his students, because Mainka's compositions express his enduring delight in playfulness. Content: