Artistic Graphic Musical Scores Influenced by Tantric Art

Abstract

In 1977 I produced four musical scores conceived on two distinct planes: musical and graphic. First, I chose the sequence of notes that comprises the scores in such a way that a given unique sound pattern would apply in each score. Second, I made a graphic construction for each score based on the notes in the desired sequence and the manner in which they are to be played either on musical instruments or sung. Later, in 1979, I combined the four scores (labeled T, LTR, FTR and BTR) on a single piece of sheet music. The graphic representation of the combination, entitled 'Tunedless', is shown in Fig. 1 accompanied by photographic copies of figurative depictions by Shuwalow on a Greek vase, an oinochoe (5th century BC), and of the engraving 'Melencolia I' (1514) by Albrecht Diirer and by two philosophical quotations in the lower two corners and by verbal instructions in the center.