The Music of the Spheres: Music, Science, and the Natural Order of the UniverseFor centuries, scientists and philosophers believed that the universe was a stately, ordered mechanism, both mathematical and musical. The perceived distances between objects in the sky mirrored (and were mirrored by) the spaces between notes forming chords and scales. The smooth operation of the cosmos created a divine harmony that composers sought to capture and express. Jamie James allows readers to see how this scientific philosophy emerged, how it was shattered by changing views of the universe and the rise of Romanticism, and to what extent it survives today - if at all. From Pythagoras to Newton, Bach to Beethoven, and on to the twentieth century of Einstein, Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Cage and Glass. A spellbinding examination of the interwoven fates of science and music throughout history. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - nbmars - LibraryThingThere are quite a few books about the overlap of art and science. This book tackles the overlap between science and music. In general, there is much in common among all creative endeavors. As ... Read full review
THE MUSIC OF THE SPHERES: Music, Science, and the Natural Order of the Universe
User Review - KirkusMusic in relation to science is a theme that James has explored in popular articles (Discover, etc.). Here, he contends that, until the 19th century, music embodied the classic ideals of an ordered ... Read full review
Contents
The Great Theme | 3 |
Pythagoras the Master | 20 |
Plato and the World Soul | 41 |
The Key to the Universe | 60 |
The Renaissance Musici | 79 |
The Music of the Spheres and the Birth of the Opera | 98 |
The Hermetic Tradition | 114 |
Kepler Pythagorizes | 140 |
Other editions - View all
The Music of the Spheres: Music, Science, and the Natural Order of the Universe Jamie James No preview available - 1995 |
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Bibliographic information
| Title | The Music of the Spheres: Music, Science, and the Natural Order of the Universe Copernicus Series General sciene/music |
| Author | Jamie James |
| Edition | illustrated, reprint |
| Publisher | Springer Science & Business Media, 1995 |
| ISBN | 0387944745, 9780387944746 |
| Length | 264 pages |
| Subjects | › Music / General Science / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |