Kepler’s contributions to the continuity and transformation of the tradition of the music of the spheres
Keywords:
History of science, History of ideas, Johannes Kepler, Music of the spheres, Speculative music, Planetary music, Elliptical orbitsAbstract
This paper wishes to bring to a wider audience the importance of Johannes Kepler’s efforts in the updating, modification, continuity and transmission of the theories of musical correspondences between the planets of the Solar System and the pitches of the musical scale. This tradition is known as “The Music of the Spheres”, and its evolution and development constitutes a long chapter (from Pythagoras to the present day) in the history of ideas, science, and musical theory, through the area known as “speculative music”, which researches on the connections between music (especially musical theory) and the occult, esoteric or mystical. As such, it warrants further research from the perspective of history of mentalities (understood in this case as a double take from both historical musiclogy and the history of science), and this is precisely the approach that his paper aims at.
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