The Schillinger System Mathematics, or Music?
Lisa Kaye Muth
Introduction
When thinking of figures who have made a difference in the realm of music theory, it is not uncommon to think of Heinrich Schenker, Paul Hindemith, or Arnold Schoenberg.
Unbeknownst to many, however, there is another luminary, Joseph
Schillinger, who has also made a very significant contribution to the field. Joseph Schillinger, it seems, has for some reason been almost forgotten by scholars.
His works in finding the relation between music and mathematics were
groundbreaking at the time they were developed. As will be briefly explained in the second section of this paper, Schillinger used mathematical equations to try to illustrate the formulations of basic elements of music, including rhythm, melody, and harmony. The Schillinger System of Composition had peak usage during the prime of Schillinger’s life. Such American greats as George Gershwin have used the system in composing works. Many American jazz artists found the system to be of great use to them as well. Because of the mathematical basis, the system benefited these musicians in their improvisational endeavors.
Recently, however, Schillinger and his ideas seem to
have slipped into musical oblivion. If one were to inquire as to whom Schillinger was, and as to what his compositional system entailed, an answer would likely not be readily within the knowledge of today’s music students. Presently it seems Schillinger has simply been reduced to another name that will seldom be recognized.
It is not out of the realm of
possibility that if even a theory student were asked about Schillinger today, he or she may not know who Schillinger is or what his ideas were. The aim of this paper is to
1
review the various contributions Schillinger has made, both to music and to the arts in general.
Biographical Information
Joseph Schillinger was born September 1, 1895 in Kharkov, Russia. He was the only child of upper-class parents who were adamant about discouraging their son from taking an interest in the arts. Nevertheless, Joseph Schillinger began to compose at the age of ten, when he commenced study of the piano and organ. Joseph also became interested in other artforms while growing up. Throughout his life he studied mathematics, acoustics, physics, Slavonic mythology, Russian literature and its history, dance, and many graphic arts, including architecture and design. In addition to creating visual artworks and composing music, Schillinger wrote some poetry when in his late teens. Schillinger also studied metaphysics and theosophy (F. Schillinger 156). Joseph went to the St. Petersburg Imperial Conservatory in 1914, where he remained until 1918. In 1918, at the age of twenty-three, he became a full-time teacher. He was appointed to head the music department of the Board of Education of the Ukraine, a position he held until 1922. During the next six years, Schillinger held various positions as a musical authority within the Soviet Union. His life was not easy in any aspect; politically speaking, the society was in upheaval. Schillinger lived through fourteen local governments. During this time of unrest, food and clothing were scarce, rendering money useless. He began to
2
teach privately, a decision which could be ultimately be credited with saving his life. His students often paid him by bringing him a dried fish, or some blackened bread, the only food resources available at the time (F. Schillinger 158). For this sort of payment Schillinger was always said to have been most grateful. Schillinger’s music was very successful in Russia. His Symphonic Rhapsody: “October” was selected as the best work to emerge in the first ten years of the Soviet Union. Soon after, the Soviet government reversed its position, revoking Schillinger’s awards, stating his music was not “Proletarian” enough. Schillinger was not alone in this dishonor, for Shostakovich had been placed in the same situation later in time, for precisely the same reason. The setback did not stop Schillinger. He organized and directed the first jazz orchestra in the Soviet Union. His ensemble was interesting to say the least, combining elements of popular and classical music. To create a classical sense, Schillinger utilized three violins and an oboe in his ensemble. This group played many “popular” songs of the 1920’s, including music by several famous Americans who eventually became Schillinger students. During this time period, Joseph was the vice president of the Leningrad branch of the International Society for Contemporary Music.
It was while he served in this
capacity that he was chosen to entertain a party of American ambassadors to Russia, a group which included John Dewey. Dewey was fascinated by the works of Schillinger, and subsequently in 1928, Joseph was invited to the United States to lecture on his work. This was the means for Joseph to escape the rigidities of the Soviet Union.
3
Schillinger met his wife Frances in 1938. His relationship with his wife became very important to him, and he cited his time with her as the only personal happiness he had ever known in his life. Beyond the personal level, Frances Schillinger became an integral part of Joseph’s business and academic dealings as well.
She became his
secretary, and helped Schillinger with the publication of his various texts. Frances, along with Walter Fischer of Carl Fischer Publishing, were the forces behind the highly successful publication of the Schillinger System of Composition. Schillinger maintained friendships with many important musicians of the day. Some of the best known amongst his circle of friends included Dmitri Shostakovich and Nicholas Slonimsky.
Through these relationships Schillinger became acquainted with
some of the most prominent musicians and conductors of his time, resulting in Schillinger’s influence being felt by a great number of individuals. Schillinger never stopped developing new theories and ideas. It is said that while on his deathbed, Schillinger had hallucinations that Shostakovich was in his hospital room; Schillinger was carrying out a conversation, in Russian, with the perceived Shostakovich.
Schillinger fluctuated from a state of consciousness, in which he
conversed with his wife Frances, to the unconscious, delusional state, in which he was discussing theoretical matters with Shostakovich (F. Schillinger 222). Schillinger died of cancer in his home city of New York in 1943, literally spending his last minutes of life devising new musical ideas!
4
The Schillinger System
History and Development of the Schillinger System
The Schillinger System was born from the desire to find a way to explain art with science. This was the main goal of Schillinger throughout life, to join together his interests in the arts with his interests in the sciences.
For some time the system only
existed in the abstract form of written lessons constructed for individual students of Schillinger. It was Joseph’s wife Frances who was one of the chief catalysts for the publishing of the System. Many of Schillinger’s students were touring musicians who sought to continue their studies with Schillinger while on the road with their respective jobs. Schillinger, then, continued to write individual correspondence lessons for his pupils.
Frances
Schillinger kindly pointed out to her husband that, because these students’ studies were so sporadic, only a few lessons from each segment of the system were actually documented in this written format;.
When Schillinger taught students at home, he
referred to no notes or written materials, he taught entirely from his memory and mind (F. Schillinger 38). With the incredible amount of influence Frances Schillinger impressed upon her husband, she had soon convinced him to undertake the project of putting the System into writing. The two of them worked together, and when they had finished with the System
5
in its entirety, they had written twenty-four loose-leaf notebooks full of charts, graphs, and examples (F. Schillinger 39). In the published form, the Schillinger System of Musical Composition consisted of two volumes, a total of 1,640 pages! Getting the work published was not a simple endeavor, however.
Due to the wartime economy, a shortage of paper and labor
presented obstacles to the publishers. In addition, many new engraving tools had to be crafted to gain the ability to print many of the various graphs and charts (Lavalle 31). Collaborating with Frances Schillinger was publisher Walter Fischer. It was largely Fischer’s decision to undertake the task of publishing Schillinger’s enormous work posthumously. Lyle Dowling, one of Schillinger’s closest friends and a dedicated student, was selected to edit the work. When Dowling was called into the Army, Arnold Shaw was selected to replace Dowling as editor (Lavalle 31). Two years after beginning the process of publication, the work was complete. It became available to the public in March of 1946.
The publication of the text caused
many to become interested in learning the system. A particularly strong demographic of new Schillinger students arose with the return of servicemen after the war. As a result of the G.I. Bill increasing access to education, many returned soldiers sought to enroll in courses on the System. Accredited Schillinger courses were then established, being offered at schools such as New York University and Juilliard. Individuals were now becoming “authorized” to teach the System to other students. Many of these teachers found themselves overwhelmed by students wanting to study the System.
For this reason, Carl Fischer Publishing hired a specific Schillinger
specialist, and started what was known as the Schillinger Extension School. The purpose
6
of this program was to certify Schillinger teachers, and the program was offered in various locations across the country.
An Overview of Basic Principles Schillinger’s System is exhaustively explained in the two volumes entitled “The Schillinger System of Composition.” Each volume in the set consists of twelve “books,” or sections relating to different aspects of music. Three of the most basic musical elements as taught by Schillinger are briefly explained below: rhythm, melody, and harmony. Schillinger, however, in his treatises, explores virtually every aspect of music, including orchestration, counterpoint, and form.
Rhythm
Schillinger begins by discussing mathematical formulas that can be used to derive rhythmic patterns in music. One of the foremost principles of this section of the System is that each and every rhythm can be found through the use of the prescribed formula. If the rhythm itself is not a resultant in its entirety, it is then a subsection of a larger rhythmic formula. Graphing was an extremely important part of the system. Schillinger devised a graphing method that would illustrate pitch and duration. Using standard graph paper, one would draw a vertical line to represent a rise or fall in pitch, one square per semitone, and a horizontal line to represent one rhythmic segment, most often in increments of an
7
eighth note.
A sample graph (Fig. 1) is included below; the conventional musical
notation is presented underneath the graph to show the music illustrated.
Fig. 1 – Musical Graph, from The Schillinger System of Composition, Vol. I
The graph is relatively simple to interpret. The music graphed is represented by the melody presented below. Barlines are indicated along the bottom of the graph as a reference point. The pitch names listed up the left side of the graph reference where each pitch falls on the y-axis of the graph. The lines above the melodic graph represent period, measure, and phrase divisions respectively. The numbers followed by the letter “t” represent the individual lines’ designations within Schillinger’s rhythmic equations, and merely serve as a name label in this case.
8
Melody
Schillinger’s treatment of melody is perhaps the most in-depth coverage given to any of the three basic elements of music. Schillinger states that any musical phenomenon can be interpreted and reconstructed, and melody is no exception.
Through the
Schillinger System, it is possible to detect all components of the melody, and thus determine the exact correlation of how the forms work together. Schillinger spends much time discussing the emotional and physiological aspects of melody. He uses the concept of axes to illustrate melody on various levels. The most important axis is the primary axis, which is defined by the sound that is heard by the listener (J. Schillinger 126). The primary axis is similar to a key center, since it centers upon the predominant pitch of a passage. Different axis types combine to form different types of melodic continuity. In addition to the primary axis, Schillinger recognizes several secondary axes.
Axial
combinations will assume various time ratios; Schillinger refers to these relationships as pitch-time ratios. The maximum value of a pitch-time ratio is what Schillinger refers to as climax. A fascinating aspect of Schillinger’s melodic theory comes through his comparison of a melody to a trajectory.
On a circle, Schillinger creates nine polar
regions, each segmented by utilizing 45 degree angles. For each of the poles, Schillinger relates a different emotion. Schillinger discusses several events that relate to the polar regions; he relates situations from daily life to the different areas of the circle. Melody, says Schillinger, works in much in this same manner. The properties of a melody evoke
9
certain emotions in human beings, and thus correlate to points on the polar regions through comparison of their respective melodic graphs. A graph illustrating this concept is shown in Fig. 2.
Fig. 2: Psychological Qualities of Melody – nine poles, from The Schillinger System of Composition, Vol. I The poles are labeled with what Schillinger calls their “absolute expressions.” The arcs of the circle represent what are called transition zones. The absolute expression zones represent the following emotions: abnormal – astonishment; subnatural – pity or humor; infranormal – depression or pessimism; subnormal – emotions relating to lyricism, such as regret, melancholy, pleasant sadness, joy of self-destruction, and self sacrifice; normal – quiet contemplation, balance, satisfaction; supernormal – heroism and
10
admiration; ultranormal – exaltation, ecstasy, worship; and supernatural – fear, or sense of the fantastic (J. Schillinger 281). Harmonic relations are achieved by what Schillinger refers to as evolutionary velocity.
This velocity differs for each different type of music in existence.
The
velocities result in the production of melodic trajectories, as discussed previously. By combining several types of trajectory, melodic continuity is achieved. It is this melodic continuity, according to Schillinger, that produces what people recognize as “beauty” (J. Schillinger 299). Schillinger provides another in-depth discussion dealing with “organic” forms in melody. For this section Schillinger explains what is known as the Fibonacci Series. This phenomenon deals with the concept of balance and a center “golden” point in any art form. The principle refers to doubling each previous entity to produce a series of subsections, resulting in balance of a form. As applied to music, Schillinger refers to the series as the summation series. Schillinger uses his methods of graphing to illustrate the Fibonacci principle as it relates to music.
When using the series to create melodies, the result is a tonal melody.
According to Schillinger, the first few steps of the series produce the most beauty in the melody (J. Schillinger 334). It is possible to derive additional sets of pitches for melodic writing simply by creating new graphs; these graphs will create a harmonic series, which then can be used as the basis for melodies. The different harmonic series resulting from this task can be combined then to create additional pitch material. It is then possible to readjust ranges of the series and use differing types of symmetry to create almost any melody imaginable.
11
Harmony
Schillinger’s defines harmony as “a system which borrows all pitch units for both structures and progressions from any one of the thirty-six scales” (J. Schillinger 359). Further, harmony is described as a natural phenomenon for which human beings have an inborn inclination and need. Schillinger’s harmonic principles are among the most complicated of all his theories. He begins his study of harmony by introducing two main forms of harmony, positive and negative. Positive harmony is a view which maintains that chords are components of an entire large structure. Negative harmony, conversely, states that chords are derived from segments of scalar patterns, rather than being a part of a greater whole. Schillinger discusses using cycles to produce harmonies.
Cycles move in
intervallic motion, such as in thirds, fifths, or sevenths. Not only do the cycles produce harmonies to orchestrate, but they also yield starting and ending cadences for a particular harmonization type.
Schillinger uses musical examples from Wagner and Bach to
illustrate the cyclic concept. Cycles can be transformed by rotating them clockwise or counterclockwise. By doing this, different structures can be used for different types of chords. In addition, different formulas can be utilized to create chromatic movement and modulation. Formulas are also discussed for derivation of pedal points, as well as embellishing tones such as suspensions, passing tones, anticipations, and others. Schillinger follows this
12
harmonic discussion with an entire section of his course covering correlation of harmony and melody. The Schillinger System of Composition is unlike any other method for studying how music is created. Completely based on mathematical concepts, Schillinger claims that each and every note of music ever written or that will ever be written can be reached through the use of his system. Through integration of each of Schillinger’s works, it is possible to gain an understanding, and perhaps even an appreciation, for what he is attempting to illustrate through his system.
Schillinger’s Other Academic Works
After putting the entire System of Composition into writing, Schillinger found he had twelve extraneous notebooks of formula resultants. At the urge of his wife, he sent the additional material to Witmark Publishing, in an attempt to have the material produced as a supplement to the System itself. The response from Witmark was positive, citing Glenn Miller as the reason for the quick acceptance. Miller had told the publisher that it “couldn’t go wrong” with any work of Schillinger’s (F. Schillinger 42). It was through the publishing contract with Witmark that Schillinger was urged to send his entire system to Walter Fischer for consideration; this was not carried out, however, until after Schillinger’s death. Schillinger entitled the aforementioned work “An Encyclopedia of Rhythms.” The book is essentially a collection of rhythms which Schillinger arrives at through the
13
use of his system. The practical purpose of this work is little in the opinion of many critics, but it serves to illustrate how the system works in detail with regard to rhythm. It is also intended to be a reference for the composer, in order to save time by eliminating the need to work through many sets of long equations. The purpose of the book is to list every possible rhythmic pattern and collection, thus preventing the composer from expending unnecessary labor on calculations. Another work, entitled “Kaleidophone”, was also published. This was similar to the rhythmic encyclopedia, except that this work outlines different melodic patterns which could be derived from various Schillinger formulas. This book, like the previous work, was again intended to save the student time. Perhaps Schillinger’s most useful work is “The Mathematical Basis of the Arts.” He describes this work as a “scientific theory of art production” (F. Schillinger 28). The book divides each art form into a classification based upon the sensory organ it is perceived with. Schillinger explains that this work is his attempt to reconcile the arts, and to scientifically coordinate several arts onto one common platform. The idea for the book began with an article Schillinger wrote entitled “Engineering of Art.” After this he wrote several similar articles, compiling them into the first section of the book, which he subtitled “Science and Esthetics” (F. Schillinger 29). From this point, his additional work was compiled into the making of the entire book, “The Mathematical Basis of the Arts.”
14
Schillinger’s Teaching
Joseph Schillinger was a master teacher. Most of his life was devoted to teaching his System, and through this devotion he bred many advocates of his theories. Schillinger taught students in long segments with no interruptions, partially due to his obsession with spreading his theories to the musical community. Students would come for one hour lessons, and he would teach up to five lessons in a row (F. Schillinger 38). Schillinger literally had waiting lists of students who wished to study with him. Since this was the case, Schillinger eventually provided the option of taking his course via correspondence. Since he had completed putting his system in written form, it became even easier to provide instruction via mail. Schillinger would tailor assignments to students, have the completed assignments returned to him, and then correct them and forward them to the student with the next lesson in the series. It was quite expensive to complete the entire course, but many students did so nevertheless. Lessons with Schillinger were fifteen dollars, as were the correspondence lessons. Since the course consisted of three hundred lessons in all, it cost forty-five hundred dollars to complete the entire course. Schillinger was not only a teacher, but also a mentor and friend to his various students. Many of his students were said to have come to him to ask for personal advice, whether it be regarding family, money, or job prospects. Many of Schillinger’s former students would correspond with him, explaining that he was their most trusted source of assistance. Schillinger would always lend his best advice to anyone who sought it. He treated all of his students equally, and was said to have been a very fair teacher.
15
Some Prominent Students of Schillinger
Students from all genres of music and all occupations sought to study with Joseph Schillinger. Many of Schillinger’s students were involved in either jazz or popular music, in part due to the ease with which the system allowed these musicians to compose such works. The system was particularly effective for improvisational techniques, as is evidenced by the number of great jazz artists who studied it. Briefly mentioned below are three of Schillinger’s most prominent students. Perhaps one of the foremost jazz musicians to study with Schillinger was the great Glenn Miller. Since Miller was a bandleader and songwriter, as was the case with many of his peers, it was his goal to study with Schillinger. It is not a known fact to many, but Miller’s theme song “Moonlight Serenade” was initially composed as a melody and harmony exercise for Schillinger (Lavelle 30). Other popular jazz figures to study with Schillinger included Ubie Blake, Tommy Dorsey, and Benny Goodman. George Gershwin was a zealous proponent of the Schillinger System. Gershwin remarked that his study of Schillinger was “the most rewarding study (I) ever engaged in” (Lavalle 30). Before his study with Schillinger, Gershwin’s orchestration was noted by critics as being “on the whole top-heavy and with too much doubling and padding” (Duke 107). Some critics even attacked Gershwin’s compositional style as being at fault, remarking that his themes sounded like “32-bar choruses bridged together” (Duke 107). Gershwin’s study with Schillinger caused a great change in his orchestration and compositional style. While in Paris, Prokofiev criticized Gershwin’s music, calling it
16
“amateurish” (Duke 108). This trend seemed to reverse itself after the production of Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bess; Porgy… was influenced greatly by the concepts of the Schillinger System (Lavelle 30). Besides touching the musical lives of many important figures in music history, Schillinger made a lasting contribution to many other musicians indirectly, some of whom may never have even heard the name Schillinger. One of Schillinger’s students was a graduate of MIT, an engineer named Lawrence Berk. Since the Depression caused jobs to be scarce, Dr. Berk accepted a position working at NBC Radio. Resulting from this twist in careers, Dr. Berk had the chance to begin study with Joseph Schillinger (Down Beat 20). Berk studied with Schillinger until Schillinger died. In 1945, Dr. Berk decided he wanted to take the teaching of the Schillinger System to a new level. As sort of a memorial tribute to his former teacher, Berk opened what he called the “Schillinger House of Music,” located in Boston (Down Beat 20). The school flourished, and the popularity of its courses skyrocketed. In 1950 the name of the school was changed, and it is still known by the new name today, the Berklee College of Music. Schillinger’s total scientific approach appealed to Berk so much that he patterned much of the design of Berklee around it.
Berk resolved to take inspiration from
Schillinger, and in this manner establish a formal and totally integrated discipline for the study of music (Music Journal 29). Not only did the Schillinger System give beginning to Berklee in its earliest form, but Schillinger’s ideas also provided the framework under which the school still operates today.
17
Schillinger Compositions
Although Schillinger devoted a great amount of time to development of his compositional system, he did not compose many works on his own. Schillinger did not want his compositions to receive attention, rather he wanted to be remembered for his work with the Schillinger System. He also felt strongly that the compositions of his students would best exemplify his scholarly principles.
It is noted that Schillinger’s
compositions do not utilize the principles outlined in his theories (Slonimsky). Schillinger’s known compositions were composed for several different mediums. He wrote three prominent published pieces in each of four mediums: orchestral, solo instrumental works, vocal works, and piano works.
Although Schillinger wrote
additional works, these twelve are the most commonly cited works. (Perhaps this was intentional on Schillinger’s part? It was rumored that Schillinger was fascinated by the number twelve.) Schillinger’s orchestral works were perhaps his best known. He composed the March Orient for orchestra in March of 1926. His Symphonic Rhapsody: “October” was honored with a prize from the Soviet government as being the top composition from the first ten years of the Soviet Union. Perhaps Schillinger’s most important work was his Airphonic Suite for Theremin and orchestra. This was one of the first pieces written specifically for the Theremin. It was premiered in November of 1929 with the Cleveland Orchestra, and Leon Theremin himself was featured as the soloist. Schillinger composed three works for solo strings and piano: the Sonata for Violincello and Piano, the Suite for Contrabass and Piano, and the Sonata for Violin and
18
Piano (MGG). Schillinger had learned the violin, which perhaps inspired his interest in composing for the solo strings. Schillinger’s piano works include the Sonata op. 5, composed in 1919; the Excentriade, op. 14, composed in 1924; and the Five Songs, written while in Moscow in 1922. His vocal works include Oreintalia, for solo voice and piano; Japanese Suite, for two vocalists and piano; and Two Poems for solo voice and piano (MGG).
Other planned Projects
At the time of his death, Schillinger had several planned projects he intended to carry out. He conveyed these ideas to his wife Frances, who shared them in her work “Memoirs.” The scope of Joseph Schillinger’s plans indicates exactly how diverse his thoughts and ideas truly were. Schillinger wanted to develop theatrical productions which dealt exclusively with abstract art forms. Schillinger planned to undertake the task of designing and making machinery to display the abstract art forms. For this purpose Schillinger would also have to design special theaters. Not only would this work be required, but Schillinger would also compose and produce all of the shows himself! Along the same vein as his ideas for the theater, Schillinger wanted to create television programs. He wanted to combine the various aspects of his different theories to create programs. For example, Schillinger wanted to use his design theory to create graphics for a program that would utilize his compositions, as well as dancers and puppet plays. Again, Schillinger would write and produce all of the shows.
19
In the field of dance, in which Schillinger invested much interest, he wanted to create choreography for dancers that could be combined with other arts. He wanted to use music and light in the productions, and produce other abstract shows such as shadow plays, and dancers that would have puppets as partners (F. Schillinger 102). Schillinger desired to publish even more textbooks. Ultimately he wanted to write a scientific instructional course for visual artists, actors, and directors of television and cinema programming. One could only imagine the resulting impact upon creativity if a Schillinger System had been devised for each of the fine arts! Finally, Schillinger wanted to open his own schools. He wanted a school to teach visual production; this school would deal with graphic design and visual arts, and cater to artists, animators, and design engineers. Schillinger wanted to create an Institute for Musical Production as well; this would be similar to the aforementioned concept, only it would serve composers, arrangers, conductors, and performers (F. Schillinger 102). A part of this institute would be to make available correspondence courses for those in remote locations who wished to study; ultimately, this part of Schillinger’s vision was realized.
Schillinger and Electronic Music
Joseph Schillinger was called the “father of electronic music” (Shaw 58). Schillinger had a great interest in the production of electronic music, as well as developing instruments that would contribute to the creation of electronic music, and even some instruments that would create the music without human interface.
20
Schillinger was known for experimenting with sound in several forms.
In
addition to his constant desire to build a new self-propelling instrument, he experimented with pre-recorded sound as well.
He was known for his methods of manipulating
recordings, such as speeding them up and slowing them down, to seek ways to improve and advance the recording technologies available to musicians. (His abilities to carry out this task also were said to be a great source of entertainment at social gatherings!) One of Schillinger’s first interests in new electronic instruments was involving the Rhythmicon. This instrument was an electronic drum created by Schillinger’s colleague Henry Cowell, who built the machine to Schillinger’s specifications. It had keys, and when pressed, they caused drum and percussion sounds to be produced. This machine represented the drum machine of today in one of its earliest, simplest forms. Schillinger had planned instruments of all types - melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic. He felt that electronics provided the means to produce such instruments, and that these instruments would even enable a piece to be performed at the same time it was being composed! Schillinger correctly predicted that one day electronic musicians would be able to replace live human performers in certain situations. Schillinger once received a death threat from a man who felt that the invention of such instruments would take away his livelihood as a performer (F. Schillinger 145). While some of Schillinger’s electronic mechanisms were never a success with the public, one instrument he helped to popularize was the Theremin. Leon Theremin, the inventor, was a fellow Russian born in St. Petersburg. Ironically it was in New York that Schillinger met and began to collaborate with Theremin. Theremin had come to the
21
United States between 1927 and 1931 to advance some of his projects. Schillinger was pleased to work with Theremin on his scientifically based musical research. The Theremin as an instrument was originally called the aetherophone. Leon Theremin brought his instrument to America in order to give demonstrations of it and to obtain a patent. At this time Schillinger became extremely interested in the instrument, and soon became involved heavily with Theremin’s cause. The instrument itself was a marvel of physics. It used oscillators at strategic locations to produce sound waves from movement of the performer’s hands (Orton 762). For this reason, it was not necessary for the performer to even make physical contact with the instrument. This made the Theremin not only a fascinating concept, but a fascinating performance medium as well. Schillinger composed one of the first pieces for the Theremin, entitled First Airphonic Suite. It was premiered by the Cleveland Orchestra in Cleveland, Ohio with Leon Theremin as the soloist on his own instrument. The work later was performed in New York City as well, and was received as a success in both locations. Perhaps inspired by the musical genius of Theremin, Schillinger had developed a plan for an instrument called a Musamaton. Unfortunately Schillinger died before he was able to carry out the production of this instrument. The Musamaton would literally compose music independently of human thought!
Human interaction would be
necessary, but no previous knowledge of compositional techniques, or even music in general would be needed; this was a device meant to provide entertainment at parties and places of amusement (F. Schillinger 101).
22
Schillinger and other arts
As is evidenced by his desire to learn so much about so many things, Schillinger was an advocate of all of the arts. Schillinger had a great interest in dance especially, although not a dancer himself. He wrote a short treatise on choreography, and devised a system for the design of choreographed dance. This was called the “Graph Method of Dance Notation.” Schillinger was an avid amateur photographer. He was known to photograph scenic areas across the United States; he found it a way to pay tribute to a country he loved greatly as an immigrant from Russia. Schillinger developed many of his own photographs, and put together albums of his works. One of his favorite photos was submitted to U.S. Camera magazine, and was thereafter featured in an article. Somewhat ironically, the caption in the magazine read: “Joseph Schillinger is more than a photographer.
He is also a composer, lecturer, and author” (F. Schillinger 86).
Schillinger had so many talents he was almost considered an expert in every field he involved himself in! Schillinger’s theory of graphic design was perhaps his second largest intellectual focus. Upon coming to the United States he was employed as lecturer at several New York schools to speak on his design theory. This design theory was called the “Theory of Rhythmic Design,” and served as an inspiration to many artists of his time. The Theory of Rhythmic Design had many of the same properties as his System of Composition. Schillinger devised equations to generate line lengths, mass, and colors to be used in artwork (F. Schillinger 80). He utilized two main concepts called pure and
23
applied design, which again parallel some of his theories in the System, particularly those involving harmony. Schillinger’s artwork became a new breed. It was unlike any other artwork of the current schools, and did not resemble even remotely that of any other artist. For this reason, Schillinger was often approached about displaying and selling his artwork. He was asked by a design firm if he would sell some of his art to its campaign. Schillinger agreed, until he learned the company wanted to take his name off of the art and label it as its own personal design. To that Schillinger quickly put an end, and thus refused to sell his art for even the greatest price (F. Schillinger 80). One of Schillinger’s lesser known talents was clothing design. While window shopping in New York City, his wife encountered a dress at a department store that used material based on a pattern from one of Schillinger’s paintings! Soon the dress was featured in an article published by the store, and was being sold for two hundred seventyfive dollars (F. Schillinger 81). After this event, a friend of Schillinger’s approached him about designing a complete line of clothing to develop and sell! Schillinger chose to pass on the project to devote more of his time to other more academic endeavors. Finally, Schillinger took a great interest in music and art for film. He worked with a filmmaker named Mary Ellen Bute, who was to produce the visuals for showing how his system could synchronize music and graphics (Moritz 1). The results of the film were somewhat disappointing. The film was never finished, because the animations produced would have been nearly impossible to replicate thousands of times!
24
Schillinger Today
After reviewing the academic teachings, philosophies, and studies of the great Joseph Schillinger, one may wonder what has happened to this genius. Once heralded as one of the great musical minds of his time, today it is difficult to even find mention of Schillinger or his system in even the most academic circles. Schillinger’s works are no longer published, and it is very difficult to obtain any of them. His wife Frances’ book “Memoirs” was published in a limited quantity, only 700 were made available. This work, which is the comprehensive source for biographical information on the life of Schillinger, is extremely rare. Although Joseph Schillinger’s works were not limited in publication, they are difficult to locate. While the works can be found in most larger music libraries, for personal purchase it is next to impossible to acquire a copy of any of Schillinger’s works. The Schillinger System of Composition is now listed for a price of two-hundred fifty dollars per volume; the texts are not available for purchase however, as they are cited as being out of print. Where has Schillinger vanished to? Perhaps some of his fall to obscurity can be contributed to the many criticisms of his system. The overwhelming argument of critics was that music is an art form, and should not, and cannot, be explained merely as a scientific method.
Some scholars readily adopted this stance, and thus viewed the
Schillinger System as being too mathematical to be considered a viable theoretical explanation for music.
25
It is rare to find a periodical discussing Schillinger as of late. Some attention was given to his theories in 1995, which marked the 100th anniversary of his birth. In conducting online research, a small group of Schillinger scholars lurks, maintaining an email-based discussion list, and some sporadic websites paying tribute to the works of Joseph Schillinger. It is also interesting to note that in researching publications written about Schillinger, very few graduate theses and dissertations have been written on the subject of his work. Two scholars, Charles Smith and Louis Pine, have contributed a thesis and a dissertation, respectively. Any other results of searching the Abstracts are comparative works, comparing Schillinger’s works to those of other composers, or are works which briefly mention his influence on another composer who is the main subject of the research. Will Schillinger resurface? After being almost forgotten by many for so long, it seems doubtful. One cannot help but ponder with the rise in music technology and electronic music mediums, perhaps Schillinger’s ideas will be revitalized. In a society so grounded in technology and scientific means, perhaps there is a place for Schillinger’s ideas in the present and future.
Conclusion
Despite his unfortunate fate of obscurity, Joseph Schillinger was truly what may be called a “Renaissance Man.” He maintained and nurtured interests in almost every field of the arts, and in many of the sciences as well. By influencing many great
26
musicians such as George Gershwin, Glenn Miller, and others, and by inspiring the creation of Berklee College of Music, Schillinger has left a lasting impression on music history. Through much hard work and dedication, Schillinger made many significant contributions to music, as well as to the world of fine arts on the whole.
27
