Giacinto Scelsi, an innovative and often controversial force in modern music, has been the subject of a vast amount of literary criticism, philosophical discussion, and performance. For the first time, this volume brings selected writings, spanning from the early 1940s to 1987, into English with historical, social, and cultural contextualization.

Giacinto Scelsi (1905-1988), an extraordinary, innovative, and often controversial moving force in modern music, has been the subject of a vast amount of literary criticism, philosophical discussions, and groundbreaking performances.

Originally in French, Scelsi’s writings have been included in anthologies of prose, poetry, and memories published in French, Italian, and German. For the first time, this volume brings selected writings into English. His writings enlighten the creative process and facilitate further the understanding of his musical message. Following Eric Drott’s Preface, Franco Sciannameo and Alessandra Carlotta Pellegrini provide two introductory essays to Scelsi’s Meaning of Music, The Evolution of Harmony, The Evolution of Rhythm, Art and Satanism, Unity and Equality of the Arts, Sound and Music, and Art and Knowledge–writings spanning from the early 1940s to February 1987. Additionally, the editors place Scelsi’s aesthetical writings within a densely contextualized historical, social, and cultural landscape to provide scholarly yet approachable critical information.

Iconographic plates, bibliography, discography and a comprehensive index complete the volume.

00a List of Figures

00b Preface by Eric Drott

00c Introduction and Acknowledgments

PART ONE

01 Prologue

02 The Meaning of Music

03 The Evolution of Harmony

04 The Evolution of Rhythm

05 Art and Satanism

06 Unity and Equality of the Arts

07 Epilogue

PART TWO

08 Introduction

09 Sound and Music

10 Art and Knowledge

11 Conclusion

12 Bibliography

13 Discography

14 Index

15 Authors’ bios