Music of the Spheres and the Dance of Death : Studies in Musical Iconology

The roots and evolution of two concepts usually thought to be Western in origin-musica mundana (the music of the spheres) and musica humana (music's relation to the human soul)-are explored. Beginning with a study of the early creeds of the Near East, Professor Meyer-Baer then traces their development in the works of Plato and the Gnostics, and in the art and literature of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Previous studies of symbolism in music have tended to focus on a single aspect of the problem. In this book the concepts of musica humana and musica mundane are related to philosophy, aesthetics, and the history of religion and are given a rightful place in the history of civilization. Originally published in 1970. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905. Cover Title Page Preface Photographic Sources Contents List of Illustrations Part One: Music of the Spheres Introduction to Part One I Theories of the Cosmos in Antiquity II The Hellenistic Period III The Early Christian Centuries IV The Early Works of Art V Tonal Theories of Music of the Spheres VI The Emergence of Celestial Musicians in Christian Iconography VII Late Medieval Writings and Dante's Paradise VIII Musician Angels IX Renaissance and Humanism X Two Offshoots of the Idea of the Music of the Spheres Part Two: Music and Death Introduction to Part Two XI Music as a Symbol of Death in Antiquity XII Later Greek Concepts and the Hellenistic Period XIII The Christian Era the Development of Early Medieval Images XIV Later Medieval Images- The Dance of Death XV The Fifteenth-Century Mystics XVI Survivals of Earlier Images Conclusion Appendix I Appendix II Appendix III Appendix IV Appendix V Index