Introduction
The variety of philosophical concepts is impressive indeed, and the approach that unites philosophy and music usually attracts the attention of many people due to its extraordinary nature. The Music of the Spheres is considered to be one of such concepts, the essence of which lies in the unity of proportions between celestial bodies and planets. This kind of music is not audible but sensing; this is why mathematical, religious, and harmonic concepts need to be taken into consideration.
Pythagoras was one of the first philosophers, who introduced that ethereal type of music and proved the possibility of connection geometry, philosophy, and music. “Impressed by the harmonious scale of sounds from the beating hammers, Pythagoras went into the iron-worker’s shop to discover how this untutored hammering could produce harmoniously related sounds.”[1]
The idea of the Music of the Spheres was developed through many centuries; within a certain period of time, it was discovered that all stars, planets, and even galaxies were able to resonate in accordance with rather appealing mystical symphony and create a celestial harmony, a new type of music, the Music of the Spheres that can be heard by people from time to time.
Historical Background of the Music of the Spheres
Pythagoras and his impact on the Music of the Spheres development. Pythagoras was one of the philosophers whose attempts to discover the connection of number and harmony were successful. He spent much time with hammers and studied thoroughly the ways these hammers produced the sounds.
His first finding was that all hammers produced sounds in certain proportions in accordance with their weights: by means of changing weight, Pythagoras created new sounds. “Pythagoreans’ religious reverence for numbers was overstimulated, and the belief that numbers each posses an encrypted meaning remained strongly associated with the study of musical harmony for nearly two thousand years” (Barrow 238).
It was not very difficult to believe that more extreme forms may produce sounds, considering own weights. Pythagoras was the first one, who offered the idea of moving celestial bodies and their possibility to produce tones with different speed. With time, it was discovered that those musical tones could present definite musical sounds and a harmony that became known as the Music of the Spheres.
The concept of the Music of the Spheres becomes important. Many sophisticate philosophers try to present a clear explanation of why the concept of the Music of the Spheres should be considered seriously and respectfully. William Gray’s words may be used as a powerful ground to start with:
Living under the shade of trees by day and under the stars at night, with a roof over one’s head only when it rains or when asleep, it is natural that one should gaze at the stars, see many splendid meteors, and take much note of the coming and going of the moon, and the rising and setting of the constellations.[2]
People are able to enjoy the nature around with its gifts, mysteries, and views. If people use their skills and awareness to observe, they should be able to use the same abilities to hear everything around. This celestial music is everywhere and nowhere; it is the music of movements between the planets, the members of our solar system. If mathematicians can define numbers, musicians create melodies, and philosophers introduce concepts, it should be possible to unite their actions and present something that touches upon every sphere.
Kepler and the Music of the Spheres. Johannes Kepler also tried to define this concept with the help of his own investigations. He discovered that “the pitch of the note emitted by each planet had to related to the orbital period. Orbits could not be random, then, but had to follow precise numerical principles, the same as those governing the laws of musical harmony” (Balbi 81).
If Pythagoras offered a philosophical approach to comprehend the essence of a new concept of the Music of the Spheres and defined it as a kind of music, the ideas of Kepler were more scientific by nature. He wanted to unite music and numbers and present the necessary order for each movement and sound.
Current State of Affairs that May Help to Comprehend the Idea of the Music of the Spheres
Nowadays, people forget about the significance of philosophical concepts and their unbelievable power. Some people may think that the Music of the Spheres is the idea that is inherent to some crazy person, who has nothing to do but try to listen to the celestial sounds with its harmony and technique. However, if we analyze the essence of the Music of the Spheres deeper, we may clear up that any music is a unity of vibrations, which create certain sounds in a meaningful way.
Music takes place even if a person cannot hear it from the very beginning, this is why it is possible to believe that people may forget about some philosophical concepts and forget about the ideas of Pythagoras. This is why they cannot hear this music, but still, it is not the reason to think about this music impossibility.
Conclusion
In spite of the fact that the Music of the Spheres is one of the oldest philosophical concepts, its necessity is noticeable nowadays. Every person gets a chance to enjoy the gifts of our nature, and this celestial harmony is one of these gifts. Thought it is not literally audible, it should be regarded as religious, mathematical, and of course philosophical concept that makes people look at their lives in a different way and manner.
Works Cited
Balbi, Amedeo. The Music of the Big Bang: The Cosmic Microwave Background and the New Cosmology. New York: Springer, 2008.
Barrow, John, D. The Artful Universe Expanded. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
Gray, William, C. Musings by Camp-Fire and Wayside. Chicago: BiblioBazaar, LLC, 2009.
Footnotes
- Barrow, John, D. The Artful Universe Expanded. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005, 237
- Gray, William, C. Musings by Camp-Fire and Wayside. Chicago: BiblioBazaar, LLC, 2009, 81.