“Once music is detached from function, once it becomes a repertory art, it explicitly strives to define itself, out of itself, to become "mathemat- ical"—that is to say, to begin from premises and proceed to conclusions by interpreting its own universe, finding its own laws. Systems of harmony and counterpoint become tools for elaborate musical explorations. A great deal of Western music is as much a manifestation of idealism as is mathematics.” MusicWestern MusicMusic Composition Book:Emblems of Mind: The Inner Life of Music and Mathematics Source: Emblems of Mind: The Inner Life of Music and Mathematics