&lt;i&gt;“The Temple of Music” by Robert Fludd&lt;/i&gt; (review)
Chadwick Jenkins
Reviewed by: “The Temple of Music” by Robert Fludd Chadwick Jenkins Fludd. By Peter Hauge. (Music Theory in Britain, 1500–1700: Critical Editions.) Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2011. [xvi, 315 p. ISBN 9780754655107. $124.95.] Music examples, illustrations, bibliography, index. The history music theory as a discipline encompasses many genres historical writing. On the broadest level, sources divide into practical and speculative treatises. treatises have been mainstay efforts to come grips with how earlier musicians went about composing, performing, teaching performative practice. pragmatic culture Carolingian period witnessed an explosion such they, along their successors from later eras, reveal insights musics that we continue love even though (perhaps partly because) they are veiled shroud distance. Speculative offer different experience present quite set challenges. treatise traditionally attempts get at reality behind music’s sounding surface. impetus this can be traced back Pythagoras’s mythical observations blacksmith’s shop. discerning consonances arose specific ratios, Pythagoras took intellectual leap assumption cosmos was ordered rational, mathematical manner. Music, sense, is not concerned but rather ontology musical sound insofar it participates per se, well [End Page 786] epistemological study. How parts universe cohere? Of what does Being those consist? able recognize appearances? latter, speculative, sense is, course, liberal art. As categorized, Boethius his followers, part quadrivium— arithmetic, geometry, music, astronomy. interest art encouraged authors who were themselves write larger projects. origins writings least late Roman period, most celebrated example being Boethius’s De institutione musica. However, whereas text remarkably consistent (with some notable exceptions) limits itself two models (Nichomachus Ptolemy), other compendium thoughts culled numerous previous without having fully synthesized information. This subset writers, including early figures Macrobius Martianus Capella fifth century, often brings together ideas concerning mutually contradictory or simply misunderstood. One might think assessment would consign these texts dustbin curiosity, hardly case. In fact, one assert provide modern scholar important information regarding qua ideas. After all, wildly popular widely read disseminated. These books well-educated nonmusicians music. They “popular science” day. confused inconsistent depiction science been, represent catch-all quality knowledge held educated readers eras. makes them fascinating, if obscure, objects section, Music,” Fludd’s massive Utriusque cosmi . historia (Oppenheim, 1617–18) key genre seventeenth century. has long intrigued historians science, garnered less attention scholars. situation will doubtless change owing Hauge’s fine translation, appearing integral “Music 1500–1700” Ashgate. publication opens introduction Hauge anticipates contents treatise, places briefly context, discusses its translation issues. main body book contains emended Latin...
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