Deciphering the Musical Language of Nicolas Obouhow

Nicolas Borisovich Obouhow (1892-1954) plays a significant role as an avant-garde composer who experimented, very early, with a 12-tone system and electronic sounds.This monograph reveals that Obouhow composed under the guise of a highly organised system which was formed and influenced by a mystical search that places him in a broader international cultural context associated with the occult and a belief in the transcendental power of sound.Through detailed and intelligible analysis of his compositions, the author also deciphers how Obouhow’s 12-tone harmonies and synthetic scale systems operate. The story of Obouhow and his life-long quest, through his craft, for peace and unity, in a world destabilised by the upheavals of the 20th century, amidst war, revolution and expatriation, is not just the curious tale of a maverick émigré of bygone, tumultuous days.He embarked on his search more than a century ago, and his journey is still relevant today in a world that continues to experience