From ancient Greek times, music has been seen as a mathematical art. Some of the physical, theoretical, cosmological, physiological, acoustic, compositional, analytical and other implications of the relationship are explored in this book, which is suitable both for musical mathematicians and for musicians interested in mathematics, as well as for the general reader and listener.
In a collection of wide-ranging papers, with full use of illustrative material, leading scholars join in demonstrating and analysing the continued vitality and vigour of the traditions arising from the ancient beliefs that music and mathematics are fundamentally sister sciences. This particular relationship is one that has long been of deep fascination to many people, and yet there has been no book addressing these issues with the breadth and multi-focused approach offered here.
Author(s): John Fauvel, Raymond Flood, Robin Wilson
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Year: 2008
Language: English
Commentary: scantailor made
Pages: 189
City: Oxford
Tags: musicmathematics0000unse;pythagoras
Cover
Half title
Imprint
Preface
Contents
Music and mathematics: an overview (Susan Wollenberg)
Part I: Music and mathematics through history
1. Tuning and temperament: closing the spiral (Neil Bibby)
2. Musical cosmology: Kepler and his readers (J. V Field)
Part II: The mathematics of musical sound
3. The science of musical sound (Charles Taylor)
4. Faggot's fretful fiasco (Ian Stewart)
5. Helmholtz: combinational tones and consonance (David Fowler)
Part III: Mathematical structure in music
6. The geometry of music (Wilfrid Hodges)
7. Ringing the changes: bells and mathematics (Dermot Roaf & Arthur White)
8. Composing with numbers: sets, rows and magic squares (Jonathan Cross)
Part IV: The composer speaks
9. Microtones and projective planes (Carlton Gamer & Robin Wilson)
10. Composing with fractals (Robert Sherlaw Johnson)
Notes on contributors
Notes, references, and further reading
Acknowledgements
Index
