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.