Athanasius Kircher Musurgia Universalis (Rome 1650)

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University of Iowa

Iowa Research Online

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1956

Athanasius Kircher, Musurgia Universalis (Rome,1650) : the section on musical instruments

Frederick Baron CraneUniversity of Iowa

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ATHANASIUS KIRCHER,

MUSURGIA UNIVERSALIS (ROME, 1650 ):

THE SECTION ON MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

translated and edited by

Frederick Baron Crane

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of therequirements for the degree of Master of

Arts, in the Department of Musicin the Graduate College of

the State Universityof Iowa

August, 1956

Chairman: Professor Albert T. Luper

Copyright (c) 1958 Fr ede ric k Baron Crane

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ii

The task of translating the section on musical

instruments from Musurgia universalis was undertaken in the

hope that it would provide a useful addition to the readily

available original sources on the history of instruments. It

should be pointed out, however, that its usefulness is

limited by several factors: the relatively large amount of

speculation and insignificant material, the authors

extensive borrowing from other writers on the subject, and

his general lack of reliability. It must be stressed that

Kircher must be read with great caution, and his statements

compared, when possible, with other sources. I have pointed

out many inaccuracies, but it was not possible to call

attention to every doubtful passage.

A few words about the tables of contents, plates,

figures, tables, and musical examples might best be inserted

in this place. The tables have been provided with the page

numbers of the original publication as well as of this

translation. The order of the numbers of sections and

musical examples is quite irregular in some parts of the

original. In general, these have been left as they were;

in Chapter I of Part II several section numbers have been

revised or supplied; such numbers have been placed in

PREFACE

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brackets. In addition, the section and paragraph headings

are quite inconsistent; in making out the table of contents,

an attempt was made, as far as possible, to place subheadings

of equal weight in line with each other. Marginal notes have

been included in the table of contents whenever they function

as titles. A number of the titles of figures in plates and

of tables, and nearly all the titles of text figures do not

actually appear in the text, and have been supplied in

accordance with their contents.

I wish to express my especial indebtedness to

Professor Albert T. Luper for his careful check of the

translation, his helpful advice and suggestions.

iii

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iv

Page

Ori- Trans-ginal lation

P R E F A C E ........................................ ii

INTRODUCTION .................................... xvi

Athanasius Kircher ........................ xvi

Kircher*s Writings on Music ................ xixKircher as Musician.................... xixDe arte m a g n e t i c a .................... xxiiMusurgia universalis .................... xxiiOedipus aegyptiacus .................... xxxvPhonurg'ia n o v a ........................ xxxv

The Translation............................ xxxvi

THE GREAT ART OF CONSONANCE AND DISSONANCE

BOOK SIX

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

P r e f a c e..................................415 1

PART II. STRINGED INSTRUMENTS............ 452 3

The various classes, and the division ofi n s t r u m e n t s ..........................452 3

Chapter I. The Structure of KeyboardI n s t r u m e n t s ............ 453 5

I. The Construction of Harpsichords . 454 5

II. The Arrangement of the Keyboard, itsVery Great Variety, and its Use . 454 3Definition of keyboard . . . 454 &What the jackin a harpsichopd is 454 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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V

The Imperfect Keyboard, or theSimple Diatonic one in CommonUse, Illustrated by Plate V,

Figure I ................ 455 10A Keyboard of the Second Type,One Octave of which hasThirteen K e y s ............ 456 15

Keyboard III, with seventeen keys 456 16

BIII. A Keyboard of Nineteen Keys . . . 456 17

jiT IV.] Keyboard VI, with Twenty-seven Keys . 457 20

V.] A Triharmonic Keyboard, Designed in

Accordance with the Ideas of theAncients, Taken from Doni . . . 45& 24

[iT VI.] The Panharmonic Keyboard of Nicolo

Vicentino.................... 459 27

SVII. The Keyboard of Galeazzo Sabbatini . 460 29Explanation of the Signs of this

K e y b o a r d ................ 461 32Another Simple Keyboard, of theArrangement of Keyboard I,Plate VI, which may beTransposed to any Interval bymeans of Certain Registers . . 461 33

[VIII.] Method of Tuning an Instrument withSeventeen Keys to the Octave . . 462 35

C o r o l l a r y ................ 463 37

jT [iX'l The Arrangement and Proportion ofStrings in Harpsichords . . . 463 3#

Explanation and Use of the Table . 465 41

JT [X.] A Composition Suitable for theH a r p s i c h o r d ................ 465 42

Chapter II. Lutes, Mandoras, and Citterns . 476 44

I. The Order, Location, and Tuning ofthe Strings to be fitted to the Lute 476 47

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vi

II. The Division of the Fingerboard ofthe Stringed Instruments . . . 477 49First Method of Division . . . 477 50

Second Method of Division . . 477 51Third Method 47& 52Fourth Method of Dividing theS t r i n g s .................... 47# 54

The C it te r n 479 56

V i o l s ............................ 466 66

Explanation of the Figures Containedin Plate V I I I 4B6 67

The Psaltery 495 72

PART III.WIND INSTRUMENTS 496 75

ChapterI. Some Assumptions................. 496 75

Chapter II. The Classification of WindI n s t r u m e n t s 497 77

J

JI. The Galoubet 497 79

Why, in the Galoubet. after FourSteps, the Tones are not Continued, but a Leap of a Fifthis made from theFourthNote x 496 &2

JTII. The F l a g e o l e t 499 64

Explanation of the InstrumentsContained in Plate IX . . . 500 #6

III. Trumpets and their Properties . . 502 91

Consequences 503 95The difference between thetrombone and thecommontrumpet 503 96

if IV. Cromornes, Cornemusesand other

B a g p i p e s 505 99

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C I. The Parts of the Organ . . . . 506 103

II. The Proportions of Open Pipes . . 507 104

J5 III. The Systematic Proportion of thePipes of One Octave . . . . 50S 106Problem I. How to determine the

correct measurements of anoctave system, or what is thesame, the quantity and proportion required in organ pipes

according to their octaves . 503 107Problem II. To Find the Widthof P i p e s 510 113

Problem III. To Construct aSystem of Stopped Pipes . . 510 114

Problem IV. To Construct a Systemof Open Pipes 511 117

Problem V. To Construct aChimney Flute System . . . 512 117

Problem VI. The Nature andStructure of the Organ Wind

Ch es t 512 U SProblem VII. Organ Registers,Wind Trunks, and Bellows . . 512 119

Problem VIII. To Assign theProportions of Reeds . . . 513 123

Problem IX. To Determine theProportions of Vox Humana Pipes 514 126

Problem X. To Construct aDiatonic-Chromatic-EnharmonicOrgan 515 129

PART IV. PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS 515 130

Chapter I. The Sounds and Harmony to be

Obtained from Pieces of Wood . 515 131

Experiment. To Construct a Xylorgan . . 51# 135Explanation and Use of the

I n s t r u m e n t 513 137Corollaries 519 137

Chapter III. Organs, and their Structure andP r o p e r t i e s ................ 506 102

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viii

The