Robert Smith

Harmonics, or The philosophy of musical sounds

J. Bentham, Cambridge 1749, xv + 292 + 12 páginas + láminas
 

Robert Smith (1689-1768), D. D. [Doctor of Divinity] y F. R. S. [Fellow of the Royal Society] desde 1719, Maestro del Trinity College en la Universidad de Cambridge, publica Armónicos, o la Filosofía de los sonidos musicales en 1749. Su prefacio (páginas v-xv) va firmado en el Trinity College, Cambridge, 31 de diciembre de 1748, y dedicado al duque Guillermo de Cumberland (1721-1765).

Apareció una segunda edición en Londres 1759, xx + 280 + 12 páginas + láminas, “muy mejorada y aumentada”. El prefacio de esta segunda edición (páginas xv-xviii) va firmado en el Trinity College, Cambridge, 21 de octubre de 1758; la edición dedicada también a Guillermo duque de Cumberland.

Google Libros ofrece libremente facsímiles digitales de ambas ediciones.

A table of the sections [1749]

Sect. I. Philosophical principles of harmonics, 1

Sect. II. Of the names and notation of consonances and their intervals, 11

Sect. III. Of perfect consonances and the order of their simplicity, 17

Sect. IV. Of the ancient systems of perfect consonances, 31

Sect. V. Of the temperaments of imperfect intervals and their synchronous variations, 48

Sect. VI. Of the periods, beats and harmony of imperfect consonances, 77

Sect. VII. Of a system of sounds wherein as many concords as possible, at a medium of one with another, shall be equally and the most harmonious, 150

Sect. VIII. Of complete and defective scales of musical sounds, 193

Sect. IX. Methods of tuning an organ and other instruments, 202

Sect. X. Of occasional temperaments used in concerts well performed upon perfect instruments, 239

Sect. XI. Of the vibrating motion of a musical chord, 248

To which are added illustrations and different demonstrations of some parts of the theory of imperfect consonances, 266

A table of the sections [1759]

Sect. I. Philosophical principles of harmonics, 1

Sect. II. Of the names and notation of consonances and their intervals, 9

Sect. III. Of perfect consonances and the order of their simplicity, 14

Sect. IV. Of the ancient systems of perfect consonances, 23

Sect. V. Of the temperaments of imperfect intervals and their synchronous variations, 35

Sect. VI. Of the periods, beats and harmony of imperfect consonances, 56

Sect. VII. Of a system of sounds wherein as many concords as possible, at a medium of one with another, shall be equally and the most harmonious, 123

Sect. VIII. The scale of musical sounds is fully explained and made changeable upon the harpsichord, in order to play all the flat and sharp sounds that are used in any piece of music, upon no other keys than those in common use, 160

Sect. IX. Methods of tuning an organ and other instruments, 187

Sect. X. Of occasional temperaments used in concerts well performed upon perfect instruments, 225

Sect. XI. Of the vibrating motion of a musical chord, 230

An Appendix containing illustrations and different demonstrations of some parts of the theory of imperfect consonances, 244