Music in the french royal academy of sciences : a study in the evolution of musical thought.

177 Pages·2014·13.8 MB·English

by  Cohen

Music in the French
Royal Academy of Sciences

Music in the French
Royal Academy of Sciences
A STUDY IN THE EVOLUTION
OF MUSICAL THOUGHT
by
Albert Cohen
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS
Copyright © 1981 by Princeton University Press
Published by Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey
In the United Kingdom Princeton University Press, Guildford, Surrey
All Rights Reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data will be
found on the last printed page of this book
Publication of this book has been aided by a grant from the
Paul Mellon Fund of Princeton University Press
This book has been composed in Lmotron Bembo
Designed by Barbara Werden
Clothbound editions of Princeton University Press books
are printed on acid-free paper, and binding materials are
chosen for strength and durability
Printed in the United States of America by Princeton
University Press, Princeton, New Jersey
To Eva and Stefan

La Theorie de la Musique est aussi sublime,
que la Pratique en est delicieuse, & I'une
est aussi charmante pour I'Esprit, que I'autre
Vest pour les Sens & pour Vimagination.
[The theory of music is as sublime, as
its practice is delightfiil; and the one
is as charming for the spirit, as is the other
for the senses and for the imagination.]
—Fontenelle (1704)

Contents
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xiii
List of Illustrations xv
Abbreviations xvii
CHAPTER I. THE EARLY YEARS: MUSIC AS DISCIPLINE 3
Background 3
The Founding Generation 6
CHAPTER II. ACOUSTICS, PHONATION, AND
AUDITION: MUSIC AS SOUND 17
The Second Generation 17
The Contributions of Joseph Sauveur 24
Later Developments in Acoustics 29
Later Developments in Phonation and Audition 35
CHAPTER III. MACHINES ET INVENTIONS: MUSIC AS
CRAFT 41
Les Arts et Metiers 41
Musical Instruments—General 45
Musical Instruments—A Survey of Proposals 49
Other Musical Inventions 68
CHAPTER IV. THEORY AND PRACTICE: MUSIC AS
SYSTEM 79
Early Contributions 79
Rameau and Later Figures 82
Musical Pedagogy 101
Provincial Academies 107
CONCLUSION 110
APPENDIX I. Presentations by Joseph Sauveur on Music and
Acoustics 115
APPENDIX II. Proposals in Music Assigned to Committee
Review, 1704-1792 117
APPENDIX III. Musical Instruments at the Paris Academy, a
Checklist of Proposals, 1678-1792 120
Bibliography 123
Index 141
(ix)