Julián Carrillo, Laws of Musical Metamorphosis, and the Landscape of Early Atonal Thought

Abstract

I offer a translation of, and commentary on, Julián Carrillo’s Leyes de metamorfosis musicales, Chapter 1 (self-published originally as Julián Carrillo, Leyes de metamorfosis musicales [Laws of Musical Metamorphosis], 1949). In my commentary, I show how Carrilo’s text brings together a unique constellation of theoretical interests, encompassing whole-tone collections, microtonality, and pitch multiplication. I also show how Carrillo positioned his theories in relation to those of his international peers, particularly Arnold Schoenberg. Alongside many composer-theorists of the early twentieth century, Carrillo developed a conception of the atonal that was both technically systematic and deeply mythological. Understanding his ideas today contributes to an expanded history of early atonal music theory, beyond its habitual geographical boundaries.