Chance, Indeterminacy, and Control: Aleatoric Practices in Twentieth-Century and Contemporary Music Composition
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37134/Keywords:
aleatoric, avant-garde, chance music, contemporary composition, graphic notation, indeterminacyAbstract
Aleatoric approaches represent a compositional method that emphasizes chance, indeterminacy, and interpretative freedom in music creation. This article presents an extensive literature review on the conceptual foundations, historical development, and practical applications of aleatoric music within classical, modern, and contemporary compositional practices. The review examines contributions by key figures such as John Cage, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and other twentieth-century composers, alongside discussions on non-traditional notation as a medium for conveying aleatoric ideas. Through critical synthesis of previous studies, this article argues that aleatoric does not negate musical structure but functions as an open control system that expands aesthetic possibilities, performer agency, and creative outcomes. This review provides a robust theoretical foundation for practice-based research in creative music composition and supports the integration of aleatoric techniques within contemporary artistic practice.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Farhan Izzudin Bin James Narte, Kamarulzaman Mohamed Karim
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