BUTTERF"IELD 8-2107

JOSEPH SCHILLINGER
875 FIFTH AVENUE
NEW YORK

December 16, 1942.
Dear Dr. Gross:
Besides a full teaching schedule, Joseph has been working
hard, as you know, trying to complete the written course.
So I want to add my thanks to his for your nice letter to
him.

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You didn•t have to apologize for bringing to his
attention his use of the expression "permits to do 11 , etc.
lie always appreciates that kind of suggestion. However,
such things fall into my department; and the only reason
I have not changed it is that I thought such foreign
flavor added charm, and that while not idiomatic, it was
not grammatically forbidden. But I may be wrong .
There is one thing I have not been able to explain to
Joseph, and that is when to use or not to use the definite
article nthe 11• Sometimes, in typing his mP.. nuscript, I
make these minor corrections myself, but more frequently,
because what I type is so far beyond me, it is quite
likely that I skip them. His vocabulary just knocks me
for a goal? Wait until you see the part of Orchestration
he is writing now.

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In perhaps another weeK or so I will send you what we have
ready on Part 2 of Orchestration. The lessons are tremer1dous,
both in length and depth.

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Just to let you know how things stand financially, you
have nearly finished paying for the complete course. When
Orchestration is finished there will be only six more
lessons to pay for, regardless of the actual number it takes •
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The best of everything to you and Janet and the family for
the New Year.
Always,

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One of the most challenging and stimulating
books to those interested in eathetics hae been the
recently published System of �uaical Composition by
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Jose�h Schillinger.

Its novel and scientific approach

have evoked both enthusiastic support and stubborn
opposition.
I am aware that anyone who projects himself into
a controversial fray may find himself caught in the
middle and mat is worse may emerge with a bloody nose
fo r his temerity.

However, since a good intellectual

scrap always did intrigue me, and since the eight of
blood does not disturb me, even ✓if it is my own, I did
not hesitate to accept the invitation to write this article.
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It so hal)pens that I knew Schillinger well and was hie pupil •
I had numerous opportuni.t ies to discuss hie theory with ·him.
Since I have had the privilege of both scientific and
musical background, I feel I have a rieht to express my
vi�ws.

Thie I do without in the least trying to set myself

up as an authorit; on music, science or esthetics.

I

will shed no tears if you disagree with me and I reserve

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the right to change my own mind in tl1 e future, if
on the basis of further knowledGe and experience I
find it correct to do so.

\Jbat is required of anyone

who would with all fairnees apJroach a study of
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Schill1nger'a work is an open mind, not hemmed in
or hopelessly bound by dogma.
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If you have made up your mind that the
scientific method has no plBce in the arts and that
nothing that anybody would any would sroke you loose
from such an opinion, it would be best for you to atop
re11d1.ng :right now.

On many occasions I have induced

this question
into an evening's conversation to find
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some of my good friends in the musical world undergo
frightening distortions of their blood pressure when
I declared thq,t it ,.,ris not only poasible but most
desirable to apply scientific procedure to an eathetic
field like musical compoaition.

Schillinger's ideas

were at the other end of the pendulum from those who
denied science's ndmiaaion into art.

Scrill1nger

believed that science could explain all art through
the process of detective reasoning baaed upon scientific

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analysi$ of the music of the pa.st, and through lndl.1otive
reasoning evolve new and more complex music of the
future.

He believed that where the composers of the

past, including the g�ea.t master
· e did their work through
intuitive channels, it should be possible for scientific-,
�lly trained composers to develop their art without
having to rely on the fallible methods based on intuition
and "inspiration•.

Let me quote from Schillinger.

"Intuitive artists of great merit are usually endowed
with great sensitiveness and intuitive knowledge of the
underlying scheme of things.

This is why a composer

like Wagner is capable of projecting spiral formations
through the medium of musical intonations without any
analytical knowledge of the process involved.

On the

other hand, scientific analysis shows that the efforts
or greatly endowed and creative persona could h�ve been
accomplished without any waste of time, introspection,
special ability, or over-sensitiveness.

Once the la.we

underlying certain structures have been disclosed,
anyone oa.n develop any number of structures in a class,
throug� the mere use of a formula.

This does not

deprive an a,rtiat, ma.king an individual selection

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(whatever the value of sucl1 selection may be), from
operating l.lnder the illusion of as great a freedom
as the one he imagines he poaaeesee when creating
through the channels of vaeue intuition and nebulous
notions. "

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Schillinger wns peculiarly well fitted by
training and backgrovnd for the task thnt he set
himself.

He possessed one of the most brilliant minds

that I have ever encountered.

Jiie training included

not only extensive study in music.

He had studied

extenei·vely in history and p hilosophy, mathematics,
physics and languages.

He had a studious, inquiring

mind, not content to accept traditional teachings and
explanations.

He had no patience with those who

insisted upon explaining artistic creation and phenomena
by purely metaphysical methods.

With him it wns the

scientific approach w ithout compromise.

The list of

his accomplishments as composer, teacher, inventor,
lecturer as enumerated in the "Encyclopedia of BiogJ:>aphy"
is truly a.mazing.

To me, as to many others who.admired

his brilliant intellect, his premature death at the age
of 47 was a great tragedy.

There was much that he would

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have contributed to society and to Rrt had he
lived longer.
It is, of course, not fair that his
monumental work on musical co1npoaiti0ns, consisting
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of two large volumes, should be presanted in abridged
form in an '\rticle 11ke this.

Schillinger needed no

defenders and his work s peaks most eloquently for
itself.

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In the projection of his theory Schillinger
doeo not hesitate to discard many of the traditional
methods.

V, bether or not you can find yourself in

agreement with his method and hta ideas I feel sure
that if you were to approach the subject matter with
an open mind you could not help but marvel and admire
the brilliance of the concept.

His system ie divided

into twelve correlated branches&
Theory of Rhythm

Theory of Pitch-Scales
Variations by Keane of Geometrical Projection
Theory of kelody
Special Theory of Harmony
Correlat ion of H,i.rmony and J{elody
Theory of Counterpoint
Instrumental Forms

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General Theory of Harmony
(S trata. llarmony)
Evolution of Pitch-Families
Theory of Composition
Theory of Orchestration
His rhythmie patterns are evolved from natural sources
and by eoientifio method are evolved into complex
patterns and formulae.

In hie treatment of harmony,

voice, leading, scales, melody and counterpoint,
Schillinger coneistentlJ' applies the scient:lfio method.
As I see it, the tv.u volumes provide an encycloped ic and
statistical embodiment of all the possible devices and
combinations that musical oompoaition hns to offer.
Sohillinger's argument was that a good composer should
be able to compose in any style, and through a mastery
of the tec}-lnical devices involved in music of a given
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type, a composer should be able to compose with ease
in that style.

Thus, for example, if a composer wished

to write in a style of the l?th century, it would be
necessary for him to analyze the m1isio of that period
and reduce it to its fundamental rhythmic. melodic and
harmonic patterns and then apply these formulae in his
compositio ns •

Schillinger strongly believed that without

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the application of the scientific method the student
and composer were restricted in their horizons.

The

student was enmeshed and weighted down by an insurmount­
able array of rules of dos and don'ts, which were in
the

main

deduced

from the v1ritinge of

17th and l'"tth

century composers, many of them mediocre.

When a

student finally emerged from this quagmire, h1s
experience permitted him to write in that otyle only,
and ueually not as

ell aa hie predeceesors.

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it �orse he was �ccused of not being original.

To raake
On

the contrary, according to Schillinger, the scientific
metbod completely liberated the composer froo eubBervienoe

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to the p st, if he so desired.

A composer could be as

original as he desired.
Critics of Schillinger have stated that hie
system did not allow for the factor of genius and insDira­
tion.

Schillinger scoffed at this.

He clairood that jt

was perfectly possible to com1>ose music of a Bllt>erior
quality without inspiration, provided that the com .,>oeer
knew hie craft thoroughly and understood the "ingredients"

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which made up a given composition in a given style.
Re claimed that once a certain style in regard. to its
rhythm, harmony and melody was establ ished the composer
could make selections within that field.

The composer

was given first the freedom of choice of the particular
style and then freedom of choice within that particular
There remains for me to comment upon my own
experience as a student of compooition, and I must
emphasize that at present I am only a student.

I have

found that the Schillinger system of composit ion has
afforded me u moat delightful intellectual, mental

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experience.

Despite assiduous study of the a,s·t�v.1 wr1cb

was taken ma.inly through the oorreepondence?llllthod, I
found that it was necessary for me to do further study
with a well known composer in order to learn the olaesic
idiom.

I think that this has been greatly facilitated

by my previous study of the Schillinger system in that
it gave me a basis, a aeient1fic baais, if you will; for
comprehension of the olasaic.

Schillinger does not go

into all the details of the classic method ,,1th idioms

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He is content t� formul�te m�n w of ite basic �rinci�les.
For the rest, the student must d·g for himself.

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know thnt Schillinger did not consider t��t � fault of
bis treatise.

lie considered much of past music as

either a special case of music in general or as mediocre
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material not worthy of much a�tention anyway •
Certainly the Schillinger method has proven
very fruitful to people w}o have worked in the arranging
field a.nd to those who h<,-,.ve to turn out l1lrge volumes
of music rapidly as for radio scripts or for t}e movies.
This f�ct I ku1w to be so from personal conversation
with peJple who do this kind of work.
,1hn.t seems to rne is the one really valid
criticism is that from an esthetic standpoint, while
cataloging all the poaeibilitiee which may unite in
various ways to provide eathetic appeal, the Schillinger
method does not teach the student how to distinguish
between whA t is eathet ically ber1ut iful and what 1a not
and as a correlary of this, how to produce such an
esthetic response.

It is at this point that the

opponPnte of the scientific method in art would try

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to rise in their righteous ind igno.t ion to Jeer, "I
tol d you so".

\{ell, maybe so, 1t may be that here is

the one epot where the factor of genius and inspiration
may play the d ecisive role.

In other words, all

composers may learn the mathematical formulae, the
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methods and the craft of composition, but it is in the

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selectivity of the various components at the proper time
and in tl1e proper plel.Oe, in

that eensit 1vity
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to the stimuli

thue produced that the illusive divine spark may be present •
To which the determined scientist may reply that all the
phenomena of nature. if not at present completely known
or understood. are nevertheless capable of complete
understanding in the future.

To extra.ct truth ·?r•,:,m

nature is difficult but in the end science must triumph.
Human beings. ineluding their nervous systems and the
matter which stimulates these nervous systems, are
physical entities and therefore are capable of eventual,
complete analysis and understanding.

It is pr·obably this

belief which encourages scientists to continue their
relentless probing of the human mind.
It ia at this point where many of my friends

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on one or the other side of the fence begin tu
get hot under the collar on the question of the
possibility and desirability of the scientific
method in its application to the arts •
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BUTTERFIELD 8-2107

JOSEPH SCHILLINGER

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875 FIFTH AVENUE

NEW YORK

February 20, 1943.
Dear Jerry:
First of
when you
prompted
show you
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all, Joseph asks me to thank you for coming to New York
did, and for everythi11g your kindness and human warmth
you to· do for us. We both hope some day to be able to
our gratitu de.

Joseph came home on Thursday mornir1g and so far, everything seems
to be more or less as can be expected. The chief difficulty lies
in his not being able to consume much food. If he takes more than
a.pint a day of the pabulum tube feeding he feels unbearable
pressure and discomfort, and since that is such a small amount, we
are trying to make up by giving him fruit drinks by mouth. Re has
an unquenchable thirst.
For the nausea, Dr. Garloclc prescribed two or three drops of
novocaine on a small lu mp of sugar, and that has succeeded in
quieting dovm that discomfort when it comes. This morning Dr. G.
came here to see t1im, before leaving for a t,vo weeks trip to California, which he said is a cowbination government and pleasure
trip. He said he wo1.lld also drop in sometime after he returns,
but that in the meantime we could call Dr. LYons for anything, if
necessary.

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We have a practi� nurse who seems to be a jewel. She is crazy
about Joseph, and he is most grateful for her competence and
willing attitude. Therefore, so far, in spite of the discomforts
and occasional upsets which v,e kriow we must expect, I guess
ever�.rthing is all right. You can imagine how happy Joseph is to
be in his beautiful, clean home again.
Please give our very best to Janet and thank her, also, for her
sweet attitude toward the time and energy you devoted to us.
Next week I shall order the photostats of the rhythm and scale
tables for you and shall send them as soon as they arrive.
Love,

(Do you knov, anything about the experimental vfork that Drs. Stein
and Jacobs are doing at the Beth David Hospital? If y ou can
think of anything, nox matter how great the chance, wo uld you
tell me? Please ,,,rite all such tl1ings to my sister,
Mrs. Elsa Snyder, 225 East 79 St., NYC,
and anything you send to me here will be for Joseph to read, too.)

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BUTTE�FI ELD 8-21 07

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JOSEPH SCHILLINGER
875 FIFTH AVENUE
NEW YORK

December 16, 1942.
Dear Dr. Gross:
Thank you very much indeed for your letter of December 14, and
for your check. It is good to have students like you who make
me feel the hard w ork I do is worth while.
Here are your questions, and the answers:
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1. In polythematic composition, since the various themes and
their recurrences appear in different keys, should themes Qf
modulatorY character be used between other themes or can
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theme B follow A or C or D without concern for modulatory
interlude?
Ans.: I consider connecting thematic units to be organic parts
of the entire thematic structure and not as mere modulatory
bridges connecting two themes. As a consequence of this
(w hich is discussed in the Theory of Composition) such an
intermediaty theme can be in any harmonic style, i.e.,
diatonic, diatonic-symmetric, symmetric, chromatic. Each
such style as you knov1 has definite axial characteristics.
So the whole question boils dow n to nothing. Even in
Beethoven's Third Sonata for the Piano the first theme (or
you may consider it an extension of the first theme) ends
with a downv,ard scalewise unaccompanied passage: C nat. d4
(Myxolidian); but the next theme which is the second theme
has a modulatorY character, though it starts in G - minor.
As you see, the extension of the first theme (bridge) does
not modulate toward the second theme. Thus the ending of
one section leading into another may be either related or
unrelated to the following section. Today direct contrasts
are considered more expressive and are preferred to the
process of leading on a leash.
1. Modulation in Strata Harmony. Are the commo11 tones, c. alt.
• and ident. motifs employed in any sttatum?
Ans.: Modulation becomes an outmoded concept when viewed from
the "strata" - angle. In types I I and III everyth ing has
an appearance of continuous modulations. Identical motifs,
common tones and chromatic alterations are all part of the
scale theory and refer to melody (or melodies) but not to
harmony in strata. Each :E" vertically offers a set of
pitches which can be used in any desirable manner. The
progression itself rectifies everything in this case.

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Dr. Gross -- page 2.
3. Only dissonances must be resolved according to the principles
of scalewise (contrary or oblique) motion of one voice or both
voices (plus added versatility of the step of fourth down or
up by remair11.ng voice if one voice moves diatonically).
Consonances, on the other hand, ma y resolve as above, or not
resolve at all and proceed t o any otl1er consonar1ce or
dissonance.
.Ans.: Your own description is exactly correct.
4. In the first example, since the progression in the upper
stratum is C-7, 1 J ascend. In almost all instances the

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rule has worked without causing octaves. In such an example,
octaves are to be avoided by varying the type of resolution -­
here constant be? And the seventh here remains stationary.
A resolution where it would have ascended vrould be wrong,
vrhereas down\vard motion (or stationary) is permissible?
.Ans.: There are very few such cases, and nothing can be done
about thero without introducil1g new regulations. Thus there
are two solutions: (l) to admit such parallel octaves;
(2) to change the scheme of tension, that is to reconstruct
the progression of chord-structu res just for such a place.

letter.

Frances has asked to answer the other parts of your
I shall be glad to see you any time you get here.
With cordial best wishes always,
Sincerely,

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BUTTERFIELD 8-2107

JOSEPH SCHILLINGER
875 FIFTH AVENUE
NEW YORK

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December 29, 1941.

Dear Dr. Gross:
This is the second of the three sets of lessons
covered by your last check. This set completes
Two-Part Melodization and begins Two-Part
Harmonization. Your next set will complete
Two-Part Harmonization and will begin Instrumental
Forms.
Though it is rather late to do so, beginning with
the enclosed set I am changing the method of
numbering pages. From now on, each branch will
be numbered consecutively, and each new branch
will begin with page one. Because you have
divided your lessons into notebooks of separate
branches this will be easier.
The best of everything for you and your family for
the New Year.
Si ncerely,
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MRS. JOSEPH SCHILLINGER
340 EAST 57TH STREl:T
NEW YOR!( 22, NE\V YORK

Septem ber 28, 1944.

Dear Jerry,

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Here are some copies of th e Newsweek articl e,
with your go od name in it. I can let you
have as many more as you like, if you want
them.
You will notice that credit for the drawing
has been changed to Lyn Murray (a mistake on
the part of someon e at Newswee k, whi ch I
corrected).
I sent some material to Widder, as you so
kindly suggested, so maybe h e•ll do an article
too.
Received a nice letter from Myron Schaeffer
Panama, wh o says he'll b e here in about six
months, to stay a while.
Love to you and Jan et.
Always,

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'T'his is a full..,.ate
Tdcgrum or Q.ble,.
r,tem unl<:$S Its do­
f dicated by a witnl,le
symbol above or pte­
w:Iin:the oddress.

T
A N .-WIJ,.1..IAMS
PAE810E"N"t

c 10300

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J. C. WILI.-EVIZR
P'IR&T VICE..PAl?SIOS.NT

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CH A:r�MAN OP THC: OOARD

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DR JERO.J1E GROSS:
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SYMBOLS

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CLASS OF SER.VIC!!

LC•O.fctl'
NLT•Cab!� Niahe Lt-ttoc
Ship Red1.,.ram

point of origin. Time of recelpL Is STANDARD TIME a� point o! cle,,�natlon
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LIC.',11: Ot- 1t...Et-'1iONED 1'f.�G�

LAKESHORE BLVD CLEVE-

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=DEAREST JE
FOLLOWS GRATEFUL LOVE:
:.FRANCES•

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,•1ATh• 13UGGE$TlON8 }'ROM l1� PATl ·,
TIii� COMPANY \\'II
I Al'l'Rt'C-

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Joseph Schillinger
911 Park Avenue
Rew York City

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!'BE EHGINEERIBG OP ART
Kus1c 1• a JP&n-made illus-ion of actuality
and so is every art. Music is meTelY a mechanism s1m­
ula t1ng orguic existence (t'orms) ..

Music makes you

believe it is al:Lve beaause it moves and acts like liv•

1ng matter. �v• ArJ..stotle bad observed that "rhythats

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and meloaies are movetuents as DlUC:b as they ar& actions" •

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The coltiDOll bellet that "nmsic is emotional" bas to be
repudiated as. a primeval e.n1111s», which still survives
1n the contused p,yche or our contempor ariea.

Thl.s

erroneous conception can be easily justified as flnaive
re�lismfl.

Music mat appear eaot1onal merely because it

moves, and everyth1ng that
lite and living.
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essoci&tes 1te�f with

Actually, naus1c is no more emctional.

tban an automobile or a locomotive o-r an aeroplane, which
also .aioves. Uusic is not more emot1-0Dl,ll than the Disney
charac ters wbieb

Nk&

us laugh, but whose actual rorm or

existet1.ce 1s a mecbafl1oa1 (a

DJOVing

strip ot pictures

drawn on cellul.oid and projected on a screen) end not
an organic one.
EYeryt'.bing mo•ing is a JDeehan1ss and the science
ot motion 1s mechanics.
!'he �rt pr aak�ng �ie consists or arranging
the i,.aot,).9p ot SOUllS).8 (pitch, YOlllN ,. quality) 1n such a

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Pann4r that it appears to be organic• al1va .,
IP! �cimce 0£', �!N, pusie thus 'becomes the
mecba�1cs or �cal, !OJ!l-Y•
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Tbe te.chniq,ue or this science enables the art
or music to set"Ye its ultimate purpose,

,:h'- c�p.Yg�o_e

gt ��$.,c,J. 14,eas. tg MI@ !1!wn,r .2

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The sources , the Rd.1a and the instrWDm ts �t
art ai-e created by (Mitur.e .

!be forms, tbe :teiture, and

the col.oring or rainbows, S\maets� birds• pluaqu,
. crystals, abells . »lants, anim�l and hwean bodies are
t;tte ,s,Jo!1£Ceft � tbe srt � pa1at1ng.
0

llin•ral.$� plants

and vegetab1es are the ,iedia {pigments) and the sense
or vision - �e ipll!3Y!ept or that art ..
The thunder, the an:tmal. sounds oad the ecbo
are aa mueh-- the source• � mos1.c • • al.l the 1DOrgan1c
and orpti:1e fonus wbich s,roY1de the structural- patterne
f{)r musical Jatonation and- cont.1n\ll.ty.

Lungs and vocal

cords ._ reed• and ania,al. ski.ns , as well as el.ect.r10it7
ere tbe •�1! (.ound Jroduct1on) cf the ut or Dnls1o,
and the aenae r4 beari.Qg is the ,,Ul•��gt or tbat .rt.
Natural forms originated as. a neeesai.ty,

an

1ns.tt-u•at tor •tt�S.ent ex1stece • . MultLplioat1on ot
forms and 1:aw.•ea (optJ.oal and acous t1cal refiex1on) as.
well ,as offensive and. detensive (circwastantial.) m1llicr7
(aare.ss1•• and protect1ve - s1%e, sbap� and coloring)
constitute t.be first step

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the evo1ution or (lrt tonis .. �

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De4uot1on ot- esthetic (dogaat.io) norms, combined
with 1m1:tation @d -rtt-.ad jus.tment of appearances accord­
ing to these nonns constitutes the ttol-1ow1ng step intent�cmal mimierJ.

4!he tinfll ste}> 1D the evolution

of tbe arts 1s a seienti!i� method or- •rt production.
where the works of art are manufactured and distri­
buted ac�ordtng to definite req�i:rements and epeci�

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ticat1.orut.

This fiMl st-e.P becomes pos-aible only

atter the laws of art haYe been disclosed.

The dls�

cover or the laws ot �t has
. been an · old dream of
bumant.t,-.
Ill the Li-Ki.� or Mm<>rial Rites of the an­
cient Chinese we read t "IAlsie is 1nt.1matelT co,m,eet­

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ed With the ,aseential re1at1ons ot beings. . !bus, to
mow sounds,, but not aJ..rs, is peculiar t-0 bird9 and
brute beasts; to kno• au.s ,. but not- mua�c: .is p.«:1uliar
to the common herd; to the wis.e alone it is r-eaened
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to understand music.

That 1s •hT sounds sr• studied

to know a1:rs, al.rt: 1n order tQ mow aaue1�,. - end 11Usic
to know how to I;;Ul9. •
The science ot art-making must be concern­
ed with two tuad&mentals:

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{l) The •eeban1o ot patte:-n-aald-og.
(2) The mechanism ot reactions. •
A theory or the arts mus\: be ult-1.metelT
formulated as a a,cience dealing with the �elat1.onship

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which exlsta, between the forms ot exc1tors (works ot
fft as tbeJ enst 1a tbeir physical torm 1n this case)
and the for•s of. rf!!C,t,J.29�: (eJDOtional :responses •• they
exist 111 theJ.J' psyceho-phy-Biolog1oal tora, 1.e . , 1n the
tora of nen:ous illJ;>Ulses, reflexes- and psych6log1eal
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As lon.g as any art-ton lHWi.festa itself·

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f.hrougb a physical m�im, �d 1s perce1Yed through

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an o:tgan (or organs) or sensaUon� 10ewry and asso­
ciative orienta'tion, 1t is a metispr�})1e 9.u�t�tz:, and
me&S'tll'able qu&nt-i ties are stib2e.ctted to the la•• ot
.aatheaaties .,
Thus , the analysis of f'orms (even 1t they
ue eoA&Hered e•tb•tic) requires matbeJla�cel tech­
niqa, and the synthesis of f'orms (the mek ing of tol!m s
r-ealized in an art medium � 1n tb1$ case) requires tbe
�!�sue.. or, en11neer1pg .
There is no reason why Wtlsie or painting or
!)Oetry oarmot be des.1gne4 a11d executed the wq engi!lt'fa
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or bridges ai,e.

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technical progress ()f today prod­

uces enough ffi"4enee ot the success wi1icb re-sults tram
engi:aeer-irlg, i .e ., , rrom the method of. expedient economy
and e.t£1ciency.

And it this method transformed the

most daring dream• of yesterda;y illto ao�r,.11t1e:s or
today� it 1s bound to be equallf as su•cesstul 1n the
tiel.d or art .

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THE SCHILLIKGER SYSTE:M' OF COl\liPOSITION
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One of the most challenging and s t imulat ing
books t o those interested in esthet ics has been the

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rec ently pub l i shed System of }!:us ical C omposit ion by
Joseph Schill i nger .

I t s novel and sc ient if'ic ap-proach

have evoked both entl'1us iast ic support and stubborn
o pp o s i t i o n .
I am aware that anyone who pro j e c t s him.s elf int o
a controversial fray may find hirns elf caught in the
middle and m at i s worse may emerge with a bloody nose
fo r his temer ity.

However , s ince a good intellec tual

scrap always did intr igue me , and s ince the s ight of
blood does not d i s turb me , even i f it is my own, I d id
not hes i tate t o accept the invitat ion t o wr i t e this art i c l e .
I t s o ha.ppens that I knew Sch i l l i nger vrell and '\"las his pup i l .
I had nunerous opportunit ies t o di scuss his theory with him.

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ainee I have had the privi lege of both sc ient ific and
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mus i cal �ac k&rou :id , ; ., f ei 1 �
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viewJ.f This I do 'without in the least trying t o set myself
up as an authority on mus i c , sc ience or esthe t i c s .

I

w i l l shed no tears if you d isagree with me and I reserve

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the right t o change my own mind ir1 tre futur e , i f
on the bas i s of further knowledge and exper i enc e I
f i nd it correct t o do s o .

Wha,t i s re qt1ired of i:3. nyone

who would Yfi th all fairness r1.pproa.ch a. study of
Schill inger ' s work is an open :r.1ind , not hemmed in
or hopelessly bound b�r dogma�
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I f you have made up your mind that the
s c i entific method has no place in the arts and that
nothing that anybody would say would shake _you l oose
from such an opinion, it would be best for you t o stop
re�ding right now.

On many occasi ons I have i��

this quest ion int o an evening ' s c onversat ion t o f ind
some of :r.1y good fr i ends in tr1e mus ical world undergo
fr ightening d i s t ort ions of their blood pressure when
I declared that it v,ei.s not only possible but tnos t
des irable to apply sci ent ific proc edure t o an esthet ic
f i e ld l ike mus i cal composition.

Schill inger ' s ideas

were at the other end of the pendulum from those who
denied s c i ence ' s adm i s s i o n into art .

Schi l l i nger

bel ieved that sc ience c ould explain all a.rt through

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analysis of the mus i c of the past , and through induct ive
reasoning evolve new and more complex mus i c o f the
future.

He bel ieved that where the composers of the

pas t , including the gre at masters 1 did their work through
intuitive cha nnel s , it should be possible for sc ientifi c - .
•

ally trained c omposers t o develop their art without
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having to rely on the fallible methods based on intu ition
and " i ns p ira t i on" .

Let me quote from Schilltnger.

" I ntuit ive artists of grea.t merit are usually endowed
with gre at sensit iveness and intuitive knowledge of the
underlying scheme of things.

This i s why a c omposer

like Wagner is c apable of - projecting spiral format ions
through the medium of mus ical intonati ons wi thout any
a nalyt ical knov,rledge of the process involved.

On the

other hand , sc ientific a nalysis shows that the efforts
of greatly endowed and cre at ive persons c ould have been
•

ac compl i shed without any waste of t ime , introspec t io n ,
special ability, or over-sensitiveness.

Once the laws

underl:}ring certain structures have been disclosed,
anyone c a n develop a ny number of structures in a clas s ,
through the mere use of a formula.

This does not

deprive an art ist , making an individu al selection

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(whatever tl1e value of such sel ection may be ) , from
operat i ng under the i l lus i o n of a.s great a freedom
as the one he imagines he possesses when creating
through the channe ls of vague intuition and nebulous
notions . "
Schi ll i nger was pecul iarly wel l fitted by
training and background for the task that he set
•

himself .

He possessed one of the most bri ll iant minds

that I have ever encountered .

His training included
•

not only extensive study i n mus i c .

He had stud ied

extens ive ly i n history and phi los ophy, mat hemat i c s ,
physics and languages .

He had a stud ious , inquir ing

mind , not c ont ent to accept trad it ional teachings and
explanat i ons .

He had no patience with those who

insiste d upon exp laining art i s t i c creat ion and phenomena
by purely metaphys i c al methods .

\Vi th him it was th.e

sc ient ifi c ap�roach w ithout compr omi s e .

The l ist of

his accompli shments as c ompo ser, teacher, invent or #', c..,J
lecturer as enumer·ated i n the "Encyc loped i a of Bi ography"
is truly amaz ing.

To me , as to many others who admired

his bril l iant inte ll ec t , his premature death at the age
of 47 was a great trage d3r.

There was much that he would

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have contributed t o s o c iety and t o art had he
l ived longer .
It i s , of c ourse , not fair that his
monumental work on mus ical c omp o s i t i o n; , c onsist ing
•

of t,.,o 1·arge volumes, should be presented i n abridged
form i n an �rt i cle l ike this .

Schill inger needed no

defenders and his work speaks most eloquently for
itself.
In the project i o n of his theory Schill inger
does not hesitate t o dis card many of the traditional
me thods.

Whether or not you can f ind yourself in

agreement �ith his method and his ideas I feel sure
that if you were to approach the subj ect matter' with
an open mind you could not help but marvel and admire
the br ill iance of the concept:

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Hi� system is divided

int o twelve c orrelated branches :
Theory of Rhythm
Theory of Pit ch-Scales
Var iat i o ns by Means of Geometrical Project ion
Theory of Melody
Special Theory of Harmony
Correlat ion of Harmony and Melody
Theory of C ounterpoint
Instrumental Forms

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General Theor:)r of Harmony
( Strata Harmony)
Evolut i o n of Pit ch-Families
Theory of C omposit ion
Theory of Orchestrat ion
II

Hi s rhyt hmic patterns are evolved from natural sources
and by sc ient if i c method are evolved int o c omplex
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patterns and formulae .

I n his treatment of harmony ,

vo i c e , leading, scal e s , melody and counterpoint,
Schillinger c onsistently applies the sc ientific method .
As I see it , the t�o volurnes provide an encyclopedic and
stat i s t ical embodiment of all the possible devi ces and
comb i nat ions that musica,l composit i o n has t o offer.
Schill inger ' s argument was that a good composer should
be able t o c ompose in any styl e , and through a mastery
of the t ech.ni cal devices in,rolved in mus ic of a given
type , a composer should be able t o c ompose with ease
i n that style.

Thu s , for example , if a c omposer wished

to wr ite in a style of the 17th century, it would be
ne cessary for him t o analyze the m1sic of that period
and reduce it t o its fundamental rhythmic , melodic and
harmonic patterns and then apply these formulae in his
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comn• o s i t i o ns •

Schillinger strongly believed that without

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the appl i c at i on of the sc ient i f ic method the student
and composer were restr icted i n their horizons .

The

student was enmeshed and weighted down by an insurmountable array of rules of dos and don' t s , which were in
the main deduced from the writ ings of l?th and 18th
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century composers, many of them mediocre .

When a

student finally. emerged from this quagmire, his
experience pernitted him t o wr ite in that style only,
and usually not as well as his predecessors . To make
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1t vrorse he v1as Rccused of not being original . On
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the c o ntrary, according t o Schi l l inger , the sc ient ifi c
method completely l iberated the composer from subservience
to the pas t , if he s o de s ired.

A composer could be as

or iginal as he des ired.
C r i t i c s of Sch i l l inger have stated that his
system di d not allow for the factor of genius and inspira­
t i on .

Schillinger scoffed at t h i s .

He claired that j t

was perfectly possible t o compose mus i c of a superior
qual ity wi thout inspirat ion, provided that the composer
knew h i s ere.ft thor oughly and llnderst ood the " ingred.ients 11

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wh ich made up a given composit ion i n a given style .
He cl aimed that once a certain style i n regard t o i t s
rhythm , harmony and melody was established the composer
could make selec t i ons within that f i eld.

The c omposer

v1as given first the freedom of cho ice of the part icular
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style and then freedom of ch oi ce within that part icular
style •
There remains for me t o c omme nt upon my own
exper ience as a student of c omposition, and I must
emphasize that at present I am only a student .

I have

found tha.t the Schillinger system of c o1np o s i t ion has
afforded me a most del ightful i ntellectual , mental
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experienc e . -despite assiduous study of the svstem ,1Vh ich
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was taken mainly through the correspondence ne.thod, I
found that it was neces sary for me to do further study
with a well known composer i n order t o Je arn the classic
id iom.

I think that this has been greatly fac i l itated

by my previous study of the Schi llinger s3rstem i n that
it gave me a basis , a sc ient i f ic basi s, if you vril l , for
compre]1ension of the class ics. Schill i nger does not go
• int o all the details of the c lassic method with �id ioms

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He is content t o formulate rn.P ny of its ba. s ic pr inc ip les .
For the rest , the student must d:g for h ims elf .

I

know that Sch i l l inger did not cons ider that a fault of
h i s treat ise .

He considered much of past mus ic as

e i ther a. Sl)ec ial case of mus ic in general or as mediocre
•

material not viorthy of mucl1 attent ion anyway •
Certainly the Schill inger method has prove,l,
very fruitful t o people who have worked in the arranging
f ield and t o those who have t o turn out lei.rge volumes
of mu s i c rapidly) as for radio scr ipts or for tre movies .

This fact I know t o be s o from pers onal conversat j on
with people who do this kind of work.
Wha t seems t o 111e is the one really valid
c r i t ic ism i s that from an esthe t i c standpoint , while
cataloging all the possibil it ies which may unite in

various ways t o provide e sthet ic appeal , the Schill inger
method does not teach the student how t o d ist inguish
between "''h�t is esthetically beaut iful and vrha t is not
and as a coreffary of this , how t o produce such an
esthet ic response .

It is at thi s po int that the

opponents of the sc ientific method in art would try

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to rise in their righteot1s i nd ignation t o jeer ,
t o ld you s o " .

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We l l , mayb e s o , it may be thB.t here is

the one spot where the factor of genius and inspirat ion
may play the d e c i s ive role .

In other words , all

c omposers may learn t he mathemat ical formulae , the
;

methods and the craft of c ompo s i t ion, but it is i n the

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s e lect ivity of the var ious components at the proper t ime
and in the proper plac e , in that sens it ivity t o the st imuli
thus produced that the illusive divine sp ark may be present.
,
To which the determined sc ient ist may reply that all t he
phenomena of nature , if not at present completely known
or understood, are neverthe less capable of complete
understanding in the future .

To extract truth from

nature is diffi cult but in the end sci ence must tr iumph.
Human be ings , including their nervous systems and the
matter which st imulates these nervous systems, are
physical ent i t i e s and therefore are capable of eventua y
c omplete analys i s and understand i ng .

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It is probably this

belief which enc ourages sci ent is t s r� c ont inue their
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relent le s s probing of the human mind.

I t i s at this po int where many of my fr iends

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on one or the other s ide of the fence begin to .
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