The Schillinger System Mathematics, or Music?

Lisa Kaye Muth

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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

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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

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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.

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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!

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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.”

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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.

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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

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“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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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).

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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

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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 seventy-

five 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!

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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.

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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

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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.