‘Toward a Theory That Is the Twelve-Note-Class System Michael Kassler Perspectives of New Music, Vol. 5, No. 2 (Spring - Summer, 1967), 1-80. Stable URL: httpflinksjstor.orgsici?sici=003 1-60 16% 28 196721 %2F22%-205%3A2¢3CL%3ATATTITS3E2.0.CO*SB2-D Perspectives of New Music is currently published by Perspectives of New Music. Your use of the ISTOR archive indicates your acceptance of ISTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at flip: feworwjtor org/aboutterms.htmal. ISTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in par, that unless you fave obtained pcior permission, you may not dowaload an cnt isus of @ journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content inthe ISTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial uss. Please contact the publisher cegarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at bupsferwer,jstor.onp/jounals/pam.html. Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transtnission. ISTOR is an independent not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating and preserving a digital archive of scholarly journals. For more information regarding ISTOR, please contact support @jstor.org- up:thrww jstor.orgy Mon Dec 20 02:43:27 2004TOWARD A THEORY THAT IS THE TWELVE-NOTE-CLASS SYSTEM MICHAEL KASSLER ‘Tas essay is here, not as a deep contribution to a theory of twelve-note- class (oF twelve-tone) music, but to expose the state of development of one such theary, to encourage research in this generally neglected area, and to anticipate times when articles relating details of particular twelve-note-class compositions to an established theoretical structure will appear in greater than present proportion with articles merely mention- ing such details.* ‘Two sections follow. In the first, we present quickly, and not with the detail necessary for a philosophically satisfactory exposition, a sequence ‘of logistic systems and three principal interpretations of each system? Each presented logistic aystera, together with one of its principal inter- pretations, constitutes a formalized language whose assertions (ic, the theorems under the interpretation) are musical compasitions in ane of three domains (written-musical, produced-musical, received-musical) of musical experience. In the secand section, these formalized languages are related informally to a few extracts from historic twelve-note-class companitions, and conceptions about the nature of the ewelve-note-class system are discussed briefly. Throughout the essay, we indicate some of the many remaining significant relevant open problems, 1 In writing about formalized languages we use certain conventions Occasionally we announce that a particular logistic system or class of systems is under consideration: then, and until a suitable denouncement 11 note here my indebundeest to Eric Regener for rending an earlier version ofthis csny snd for suggesting several changes at bave been Incorporated fata the present verion of hn exay, Jue theertcal presentations are organized according tothe lic method (though, a rertarke, they are not fll satisfactory, Since dis meth bas been explained clerly snd ‘carefully inthe philerophicn mathematical Knerature (ae pecially Chureh [1]} and nce he particular application af the method to scations mm wich what i beng aserted not propositions but musical compositions hat been akeched in the rsiclogicalUeratore [2], ‘he refrain from inluding In the peaen article anther intoietary eaplanacion. (Numeral ‘oclaed by square bracke tle 9 entries numbered inthe lt of ferences give atthe nd ofthis cay) tLePERSPECTIVES OF NEW MUSIC is made, terms such as “well-formed formula” (hereinafter abbreviated “wff”), “theorem,” “interpretation,” and “decision procedure,” areused, in contexts where no other logistic-system is referred to explicitly, with. the understanding that reference is to the particular logistic system or class of systems under consideration. A similar remark applies to our use of symbolic conventions: if a par- ticular logistic system or class of systems is under consideration, then the range of a metalinguistic variable is restricted ta appropriate entities from chat system or class if in the context in which the variable appears no other logistic system is referred to explicitly. Where no particular system or class is under consideration, as now, the range of a metalin- ‘guistic variable is restricted to appropriate entities from any logistic sys- tem whatever. We prescrve, in the metalanguage, a type-token distinction of primi- tive symbols: the word “symbol” (if from the phrase “primitive symbol") will refer exclusively to type; “token” to token, We should describe, therefore, a formula (of a logistic system) as a finite linear string of tokens ofthe primitive symbols or, alternatively, a8 a finite linear string of ccurrences of the primitive symbols. For example, let “322354” formula of some logistic system whose ive symbols include “3," 4." and “5."" We should say then that “2" is the third token of that formula whilst “5” is the third primitive symbol to ocour there.? ‘The dimension of a formula is the number of tokens in the formula. This number is always a positive integer, since we do not recogaize null primitive symbols or null formulas as part of any logistic system. Here are some conventions, concerning metalinguistie variables, that we fallow: boldface roman capital letters (with or without superscripts ‘or subscripts) are employed as variables whose range is the class of ws of the object language(s); boldface Greek capital letters (with or with out superscripts or subscripts} that are not also bolelface roman capital Jet= ters are employed as variables whose range is the class of formulas of the object language(s); and boldface roman lower-case letters (with or without superscripts or subscripts) are employed as variables whose range is the class of primitive symbols of the abject language(s). Also, each primitive symbol will be used autonymously (ie., a8 a name for self} in the metalanguage; and juxtaposition in the metalanguage will represent juxtapesition in the object language(s). ‘As is now customary, the sign + will be used in the metalanguage to ascribe theoremhood to the wff of which a name immediately follows the sign: “FA” will be short for “A is a theorem." Where it is neces- 3 We coum mm ef 2 right