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. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 48
Page 12
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Page 13
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Page 14
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Page 15
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Page 16
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
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 |
Common terms and phrases
ancient artist astronomer Athanasius Kircher audience Bach Bach's ballet believed called celestial spheres Christian chromatic scale Cicero classical composer compositions concept Corpus Hermeticum cosmic harmony cosmos cult Demiurge Die Zauberflöte divine earth esoteric eternal example exists expression Ficino fifth Fludd Freemasonry Galilei Greek heavenly heavens Hermes Trismegistus Hermetic Hindemith human important instrument intellectual Kepler Kircher lyre magic Masonic mathematical modern monochord Mozart music theory musical intervals musicians mysterious mystical Myth of Er never Newton nineteenth century nonetheless notes notion octave opera Orpheus pagan Paganini perfect performed philosophers planetary planets Plato play polyphony principles produced pure Pythagoras Pythagoras's Pythagorean ratios relationship Renaissance Robert Fludd Romantic Romanticism Saturn scale Schoenberg scientists Scipio sense sing song sound spiritual stars string symphony thagoras theme things thought Timaeus tion tonality tones tradition treatise Vincenzo Galilei Wagner Western word World Soul wrote Zauberflöte