That balance should really depend on your style. When I write I tend to cut to the chase as effectively as posible by telling what is happening. Whenever a detail stands out, I go full descriptive mode. That may be a preference of mine, as I get rather bored at mundane details. This also implies that I have to invent tons of fascinating detail, even for the most common of scenes, which fits, since I'm influenced by magical realism. I also use this to get into the character minds and explain their or my (as a narrator) interpretations. I guess this would be the abstract thing, you are talking about. Anyway, prose can be as slow or fast as you want, as long as it flows correctly and sends the message you want to give to the reader. Said message can always be as complex or simple as you want it.