Interested in mathematical relationships in musical composition and visual design, Joseph Schillinger,  a Russian who immigrated to the United States in 1928, developed a mathematical approach to studying the arts.  His theories were published posthumously in the The Schillinger System of Musical Composition and The Mathematical Basis of the Arts.  His ideas in music attracted the interest of such people as Henry Cowell, George Gershwin, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Earle Brown, Carmine Coppola and Quincy Jones.  The American artist Rockwell Kent wrote an article for Music News explaining the importance of Schillinger's ideas concerning art production.  

Joseph Schillinger with the Rhythmicon.   21 x 25.5 cm. Joseph Schillinger papers,  Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Schillinger's Graph Notation: Rondo  movement of Piano Sonata, no. 8, op. 13  in C minor "Pathétique" by Beethoven.  Joseph  Schillinger papers, Archives of American Art,  Smithsonian Institution.

One aspect of Schillinger's theories was the use of graphs to study and analyze certain components of the arts.  The above graph illustrates his analysis of the melody in the first eight measures of the Rondo movement of Beethoven's "Pathetique" sonata.  

Schillinger was also interested in electronic music.  He collaborated in the United States for years with Leon Theremin, a Russian physicist, who has been called the "Father of Electronic Music."  Schillinger is pictured next to Theremin's rhythmicon, an electronic instrument Schillinger used to study aboriginal African drumming.  

The above text was contributed by Lou Pine who maintains a Joseph Schillinger bibliography on the Joseph Schillinger Home Page at www.peabody.jhu.edu/current/js/pine.htm.  

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