Music of the spheres.....

[David Boyce]

Hello folks,

Thankyou Bob Scott for your commonsensical comments about seconds:

"If you are wondering if 432 Hz is "universal" because it is
divisible by 8, consider this:  Since the number of cycles per
second is based on the definition of the second, you would first
have to show that the time interval of one second is in some
sense "universal".  It is not.  It is based on the completely
arbitrary way we divide a day into 86400 seconds.  An isolated
civilization could just as well have come up with a different
unit of time under which the same pitch that we call 432 cycles
per second would be called 373.248 cycles per centon in their units.
(A centon is 1/100,000 of a day.)
Bob Scott
Ann Arbor, Michigan"

These ideas about universal harmony hark back to an old and discredited
concept called "The music of the spheres",
which held that the orbits of the planets corresponded to a musical
harmonic series.
Incidentally, I believe the Second is defined these days as a function of
the frequency of vibration of the nucleus of a Ceasium  atom, or some such.

And I have to echo Newton's succinct comment after reading the quote from
Buckminster Fuller.  Sorry, A440A@aol.com!

Regarding all this metaphysical musing, I am reminded of Douglas Adams'
"Hitch-hiker's Guide To The Galaxy", in which a supercomputer took millenia
to find the answer to the Great Question of Life, The Universe and
Everything, and found the answer to be 42.  Then it took further millennia
to find the question to the answer, and the question turned out to be "What
is six times nine"

Newton, I find I am in more or less complete agreement with you also
respecting the bagpipe, in my opinion a usually less than euphonious
instrument.

Gina, thanks for your musings about fortepianos etc, with which I entirely
agree.  In fact, I'm not against fortepianos per se so much as I'm against
fortepiano-snobs who maintain that they're the only thing.  Melvyn Tan,
eminent British fortepianist has, of recent times I believe been seduced by
the Bosendorfer imperial, and I'm glad to hear it!  Anyway, I'm inclined to
think his fortepiano recording career was about filling a marketing niche. 
Nothing wrong in that, of course.  But, like you, I enjoy variety and
something different, to freshen the ear.

Newton, regarding Bosendorfer upright price, yes, it's pretty chilling,
BUT, when I looked at British prices last Autumn, the S&S model K was
£18,848 and the Bosendorfer £15,999. (Don't know if the Pounds Sterling
sign will come out in your email, so I'd better make it clear those prices
are Sterling.  A lot more in US Dollars)   About 4000 Dollars cheaper for
the Bosendorfer, which in my view is better anyway.  Quality European
uprights are a shocking price, it seems, while there is a raft of quite
decent small grands of asian orogin available cheaper than these uprights.

So, no-one heard of Steingraeber then?  They really do exist, and even have
a website.

Best wishes all.

David Boyce.
David@bouncer.force9.net