The question of the underlying differences in mentality plays a key role in the discussion of the dichotomy of Eastern and Western music today. The written traditions of the North and the unwritten traditions of the South and East give rise to different dynamics in the evolution of musical culture. In this regard, it is necessary to distinguish between two pheno­mena. Westernization is the one-sided influence of European musical culture, which in turn allows the adap­tation of Eastern intonation with its symbolism and coloring. The essence of globalization is the mutual influences at the level of mental exchange. At the same time, both the content and language of Western music are undergoing significant changes. The transition from westernization to globalization—the transition to mutual influences—is a property of the new era. Functional tonality is no longer relevant to the eventless “composition of states.” The plasticity of new means (from the new-modal principle to a set of avant-garde techniques) and the special role of the sonorous factor now connect European and Eastern “mental spaces.” The sound symbolism of time is at the center of attention.