Our sincerest thanks go to Daniel Teruggi (director of the Groupe de recherches musicales, Paris) for commissioning this translation and for entrusting such a major undertaking to us. We are also most grateful to the GRM committee formed by Daniel for their friendly assistance and helpful recommendations in bringing it to fruition. Madame Jacqueline Schaeffer has, as always, given us her unfailing support and encouragement, and we thank her most warmly for her active interest throughout. Furthermore, we are extremely grateful to Professor Martin Laliberté (University Paris–Est Marne-la-Vallée) and Professor Emeritus Denis Smalley (City University, London) for their perceptive comments, as well as to the readers appointed by the University of California Press for their invaluable advice and positive feedback. A final word of thanks is due the editorial staff of the University of California Press for their patient guidance through the complexities of publication.