AW.: Re: Reply to Judith Conrad

In einer Nachricht vom 8/29/99 7:35:53 PM (MEZ) - Mitteleurop.
Sommerzeischreibt jconrad@sunspot.tiac.net:

<<
> or 31 notes (many examples)

I hate to sound belligerent, but, um, historically speaking, name one?

Judy

>>

Vincentino (_L'antica musica ridotta alla moderna prattica_, 1555)
constructed the "archicembalo" with a quarter-comma meantone tuning extended
to 31 tones. His intention was to accomodate the three classical tetrachordal
genera in a polyphonic system.

In the early 17th century, the archicembalo had essentially become a museum
piece. Stella and Colonna would construct the "sambuco", a clavichord-like
instrument, with keyboards and a notation similar to that of the
archicembalo. The tuning was in an extended just intonation using larger
primes.

In _Harmonie Universelle_ 1636-37, Mersenne proposed a keyboard with 31
tones, in an extended five-limit just intonation, not a variety of meantone.
Christian Huygens would later calculate, with aid from the newly discovered
logarithms, the division into 31 equal parts. Huygens added the observation
that 31 tones would also permit a very accurate representation of the 7th
harmonic, which he experienced as a perfect consonance.

Daniel Wolf