Looking to break away from the conventional forms of symphonic music, Schuller constructed a one-movement framework for Spectra which he said had " no preconceived formal mold into which the music could be formed. In terms of form, the work in a real sense unfolds itself."

He secondly desired to use the orchestra in a new "physical-acoustical nature." For Spectra, he invented a seating arrangement "...which conforms more to the variegated color possibilities of the modern orchestra, thus making performance more practical. The seating plan for Spectra also splits the orchestra into seven groups-five of them of various chamber-music sizes-which can operate independently or be joined at any time into a single unit."

Schuller moved a bass flute to the very front of the orchestra, tubas were placed to the conductor's right, and woodwinds were put in the place usually occupied by strings. Using this new arrangement, Schuller was able to create a stereophonic effect with the music, as he said "causing sounds literally to travel from one side of the stage to the other." As the title suggests, Schuller made analogies to the color spectrum with regards to the shifting nature of the musical projection.

Spectra was written as a commissioned work for Dimitri Mitropoulos and the New York Philharmonic, who gave its premiere on January 14, 1960.



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