Music is considered an art form that operates without words. However, it differs from random sounds through structures that resemble those of language. Albrecht Wellmer identifies in the central works of 20th-century music an attempt to avoid linguistic structures as much as possible: it relies, for example, on the principle of chance as seen in the works of John Cage, or allows noise to hold equal status alongside sound, as in the case of Helmut Lachenmann. Wellmer seeks to develop a philosophy for new music that does justice to its diversity. For him, the relationship between music and language is a key category for describing the challenges of contemporary composition.