The fundamental article by Anton Safronov raises several complex questions: what is a musical vector, and what is the essence, in historical terms, of the musical movement? Considering the problem of the correlation between avant-gardists and traditionalists, the author identifies false and opportunistic ideological constructions, opposing them with his arguments supported by musical examples and names—both, in the author’s opinion, under- and overestimated and misunderstood. Reflecting on the linearity and non-linearity of musical thinking, the author argues with the school of Y. N. Kholopov, as well as with the views of V. I. Martynov, whose unified approach, according to the author, fits the entire history of music into a single scheme. In opposition to this, Safronov speaks about the diversity and multidirectionality of musical history. Turning to the figure of the composer, who paves new ways and declares these ways, Safronov contrasts Schoenberg with Stravinsky, favouring the great Austrian in how much the power of his work since the 1920s is not inferior to the power of his theories. Messiaen’s approach, which did not strive for declarative revolutionism, is even more attractive to the article’s author. In this regard, Safronov sees the external radicalism of Sati and Cage as very problematic. The author also touches upon the problem of the inflation of the composer’s profession, treating the claims of messianism in our time as a matter mainly of PR rather than genuine talent. The article analyzes the situation of contemporary music in different countries and its interaction with various concert and project organizations, and identifies socio-artistic processes related to immediate trends and vectors.