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. . . articles not infrequently
appear that are concerned
with the long-established tradition of regarding mathematics and music
as closely related. Articles that mention computers in this context include
publications by Cohen [“Some Relationships between Music and
Mathematics”]
and Coxeter [“Music and Mathematics”]. A similar example
is contained in
a recent book by Portnoy [Music in the Life of Man] in which he
considers the relationship of music to science. . . .
Sometimes, however, such articles are diatribes against developments in contemporary music. Examples include recent articles by Missal [“The Fallacy of Mathematical Compositional Techniques”] and Lamb [“The Avant-Gardist—A Product of Process”]. Missal denounces developments such as serialism and electronic music as well as computer music. . . . Among numerous other items, the Illiac Suite comes in for criticism, being characterized as having “a monotonous texture” and as being “dull because it satisfies neither aesthetic” of predictability and personal choice or random choice. The composer is accused of “wanting to have his cake and eat it too.”. . . Reports on current developments intended for an informed musical public have also appeared. For example, Ivor Darreg, a Los Angeles composer, has prepared rather extensive descriptions and a useful commentary on many developments which he feels affect the present state of music. Computer music is one topic he treats among other items such as electronic and concrete music, the Schillinger system, unusual scales and temperaments, and so forth. . . .
Lejaren Hiller
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