Harmonious Triads ─ Physicists, Musicians, and Instrument Makers in Nineteenth-Century Germany

Historically, music was long classified as both art and science. Aspects ofmusic--from the mathematics of tuning to the music of the celestial spheres--were primarily studiedas science until the seventeenth century. In the nineteenth century, although scientists were lessinterested in the music of the spheres than the natural philosophers of earlier centuries, theyremained committed to understanding the world of performing musicians and their instruments. InHarmonious Triads, Myles Jackson analyzes the relationship of physicists, musicians, and instrumentmakers in nineteenth-century Germany. Musical instruments provided physicists with experimentalsystems, and physicists' research led directly to improvements in musical-instrument manufacture andassisted musicians in their performances. Music also provided scientists with a cultural resource,which forged acquaintances and future collaborations.Jackson discusses experiments in acousticalvibrations that led to the invention of musical instruments and describes work with adiabaticphenomena that resulted in the improvement of the reed pipe, used by organ builders. He examines thecollaborations of physicists and mechanicians aimed at standardizing beat and pitch and considersdebates stirred by the standardization of aesthetic qualities. He describes the importance forscientists of choral societies as a vehicle for social life and cultural unity. Finally, hediscusses a subject that occupied both physicists and musicians of the era: Could physicists, usingthe universal principles of mechanics, explain musical skill? Was the virtuosity of a Paganini or aLiszt somehow quantifiable? Jackson's historical consideration of questions at the intersection ofmusic and physics shows us how each discipline helped shape the other.