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The Topos of Music I: Theory: Geometric Logic, Classification, Harmony, Counterpoint, Motives, Rhythm
This is the first volume of the second edition of the now classic book “The Topos of Music”. The author explains the theory's conceptual framework of denotators and forms, the classification of local and global musical objects, the mathematical models of harmony and counterpoint, and topologies for rhythm and motives.
705 pages, Paperback
Published December 11, 2018
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May 20, 2025
Inspiring if incomplete
I wish the entire series by Mazzola consisted of theory. I also wish the theory in this volume were more thoroughly worked-out. There's plenty of group theory, but can this book help you understand the compositions of Iannis Xenakis? Probably not. In fact, the book is so bent on describing music on its terms that it ignores the fact that mathematics is a language. An updated edition could include "mappings" between individual pieces from the vast treasure trove of data that is Western music history and the language Mazzola is intending to use for description. More concrete examples would have really made this work.
I wish the entire series by Mazzola consisted of theory. I also wish the theory in this volume were more thoroughly worked-out. There's plenty of group theory, but can this book help you understand the compositions of Iannis Xenakis? Probably not. In fact, the book is so bent on describing music on its terms that it ignores the fact that mathematics is a language. An updated edition could include "mappings" between individual pieces from the vast treasure trove of data that is Western music history and the language Mazzola is intending to use for description. More concrete examples would have really made this work.
Displaying 1 of 1 review