LOGIC OF SOUND AND SILENCE: CHAOS AND ORDER

Logic of Sound and Silence formalises the timbre-texture co-ordinate of avant-garde music through the prism of logic and set theory. Timbres are grouped into sets, and the implementation of set-theoretic operations and the algebra of sets reveal hidden properties and functions of sonoristic structures in music. By characterising co-ordinates, dimensions, and parameters, logic provides a rigorous system of structural analysis for contemporary music.

Philosophical aspects of the book discuss semantics, syntax, and pragmatics in music, while set theoretic and logical formalism advance the art of modern composition, orchestration, systematic musicology, computational music theory, and analysis. The approach establishes equivalences in timbral structures between different music compositions, gives insights into dramaturgy and form, and uncovers the fundamental structural properties in music akin to the innate universal grammar.

Contents:

• Foreword by Emeritus Professor Ian Stewart FRS
• About the Author
• Acknowledgements
• Prelude
• Logic, Sound, Silence
• Set-Theoretic Formalisation of the Timbral-Textural Dimension
• Infinities and Cardinalities
• Co-ordinates and Parameters of Musical Space-Time
• The Timbre-Texture Co-ordinate in Sinfonietta
• Timbrally Enhanced Harmony
• Virtual and Hidden Polyphony of Timbral-Textural Layers
• The Timbre-Texture Co-ordinate in Orchestral Composition
• Cathedral Opera — Bridging the Past and the Present
• Modal Logic, Tenses and Regular Expressions
• Epilogue
• Bibliography
• Index

Readership: This book will be of interest to academics and researchers in the fields of mathematics (especially logic and set theory), musicology, and philosophy, as well as composers and musicians working in avant-garde music. The book will also appeal to mathematically and philosophically minded general readers with an interest in avant-garde music composition, performance, music theory, and analysis.