1st Edition
Music, Experiment and Mathematics in England, 1653–1705
By Benjamin Wardhaugh
Copyright 2008
222 Pages
by
Routledge
222 Pages
by
Routledge
Also available as eBook on:
How, in 1705, was Thomas Salmon, a parson from Bedfordshire, able to persuade the Royal Society that a musical performance could constitute a scientific experiment? Or that the judgement of a musical audience could provide evidence for a mathematically precise theory of musical tuning? This book presents answers to these questions. It constitutes a general history of quantitative music theory in... Read more
Contents: Introduction; From Pythagoras to Kircher; Musical pitch: discrete or continuous?; Faculties of hearing; Harmony in the mechanical world; Theories and practices; Conclusion; Select bibliography; Index.
Biography
Dr Benjamin Wardhaugh, is a post-doctoral research fellow at All Souls College, Oxford, where he studies the social history of early modern mathematics. He is also working on three forthcoming volumes in the Ashgate series Music Theory in Britain, 1500-1700, and a textbook, How to Read Historical Mathematics.
’This book is a book of originality and value... It is the result of an enormous amount of research; Wardhaugh's ability simply to summarise so many mathematical and musical tracts is in itself a substantial achievement.’ The Consort ’... carefully researched, insightful and important...’ Mathematical Review '... fascinating ... a highly impressive study, ground-breaking in its exploration of previously unexamined material. I have greatly enjoyed reading it and will certainly return to it. It is to be recommended to anyone with an interest in the history of music and science, as well as those exploring broader contexts to later 17th-century music.' Fontes Artis Musicae
