Musurgia universalis, by athanasius kircher rare music collection, university of melbourne library automaton campanarium fabricari design for automated chime bells from athanasius kircher german, 16021680 musurgia universalis plate 19, vol. Athanasius kircher, musurgia universalis, 1650 university of reading. Athanasius kircher, andreas hirsch snippet view 1988. Musurgia universalis, by athanasius kircher rare music. Just yesterday we quoted an athanasius kirchers excerpt from his musurgia universalis rome. Automaton campanarium fabricari design for automated chime bells from athanasius kircher german, 16021680 musurgia universalis.
The musurgia universalis 1650 sets out kircher s views on music. Musurgia universalis is a combination of a scholarly study of the history of music and musical instruments and an attempt at a scientific explanation of musical harmony. Athanasius kircher 16021680 was a german jesuit scholar a refugee from wartorn germany, kircher arrived in rome just after galileos condemnation, where he was heralded as possessing the secret of deciphering hieroglyphics. Kircher, athanasius 1602 1680, german jesuit polymath and collector. Athanasius kircher 1601 or 1602 1680 sometimes erroneously spelled kirchner was a 17th century german jesuit scholar who published around 40 works, most notably in the fields of oriental studies, geology, and medicine. The result was a wonderful exhibit beautifully designed by becky fischbach that continues to exist on paper in the form of daniel stolzenbergs catalogue,the great art of knowing.
Pdf athanasius kirchers magical instruments researchgate. The museum of jurassic technology describes kirchers turris babel. Selection and captions by michael john gorman, 2001. The harmony of the birth of the world harmonia nascentis mund from musurgia universalis giclee print by athanasius kircher.
Internationale forschungsbibliografie zu athanasius kircher. The subject of this exhibition is a hand coloured copy of musurgia universalis. Among those who had,most proba bly feared for my sanity in choosing such an unpromising, perhaps even pre. Through simple combinatoric techniques it is capable of producing millions of pieces of 4part polyphonic music.
Kircher was a german jesuit scholar and a true renaissance man. Athanasius kircher 1601 or 16021680 sometimes erroneously spelled kirchner was a 17th century german jesuit scholar who published around 40 works, most notably in the fields of oriental studies, geology, and medicine. Athanasius kircher was a german jesuit scholar who. Considered by many to be the greatest polymath in an encyclopedia age, athanasius kircher was a scholar who aspired to expertise in many different domains of knowledge and sought connections among them in a quest to recover ancient pansophia universal wisdom. Title musurgia universalis, sive ars magna consoni et dissoni, in x libros digesta composer kircher, athanasius. Like the previous writings of marin mersenne, this work utilizes the ideas of ramon llull to show how a small amount of musical material can be combined to. Musurgia universalis sive ars magna consoni et dissoni in x. Athanasius kircher 2 may 1602 28 november 1680 was a german jesuit scholar and polymath who published around 40 major works, most notably in the fields of comparative religion, geology, and medicine. If the lack of information on frobergers life is undeniable, so too is the lack of scholarly research in this area. A selection of images from works by and related to athanasius kircher held in the special collections and university archives of stanford university libraries. Celebrated for the versatility of his knowledge and particularly distinguished for his knowledge of the natural sciences, b. Kircherresearch project in german kircherianum virtuale. Apr 09, 20 an engraved portrait of archduke leopold wilhelm of austria left, to whom the work is dedicated to and the added engraved title page right, depicting seated musica holding a lyre and panpipes and with pythagoras pointing to blacksmiths from athanasius kirchers musurgia universalis, st andrews copy at r17f ml3805.
Pantometrum kircherianum wurzburg, 1669, a geometrical work describes a geometric calculator invented by the extraordinary jesuit scientist athanasius kircher. An extensive subcategorized link directory about a. Kircher has been compared to fellow jesuit roger boscovich and to leonardo da vinci for his enormous range of interests, and has been honoured with the title master of a hundred arts. Musurgia universalis athanasius kircher, melanie wald, andreas hirsch snippet view. Apr 28, 2020 bellinvacuum experiment was performed by athanasius kircher, a german scholar, who described it in his book musurgia universalis 1650. Athanasius kircher, a jesuit, was born in geisa, thuringen, in 1608. Until thomas young and jeanfrancois champollion found the key to hieroglyphics in the 19th century, the main authority was the 4th century greek grammarian horapollon, whose chief contribution was the misconception that hieroglyphics were picture writing and that future.
The musurgia universalis 1650 sets out kirchers views on music. The title page is a compendium of philosophical conceptions linked to the theme of the harmony of the universe. Kircher s work in geology included studies of volcanoes and fossils. Find art you love and shop highquality art prints, photographs, framed artworks and posters at. Athanasius kircher planetary talisman occult artwork. As soon as he had obtained the doctors degree in the latter faculty, he went to lecture on theology in the benedictine house at seligenstadt. Its purpose was to enable non musicians to compose church music. From frescobaldis craftsmanship to kirchers compositional secrets. Considered by many to be the greatest polymath in an encyclopedia age, athanasius kircher was a scholar who aspired to expertise in many different domains of knowledge and sought connections among them in a quest to recover ancient pansophia. Athanasius kircher, musurgia universalis, 1650 special collections featured item for november 2004 by tim eggington, former rare books librarian kircher, athanasius, 16021680. Mundus subterraneus is the most geological of kircher s works. Mundus subterraneus, in xii libros digestus internet archive. Volume 1 of musurgia universalis sive ars magna consoni et dissoni. Bach 16851750 and beethoven 17701827 written in a transition point between sacred.
In 1667 he published a treatise whose full title was china monumentis, qua sacris qua profanis, nec non variis naturae and artis spectaculis, aliarumque rerum memorabilium argumentis illustrata, and which is commonly known simply as china illustrata, i. This book is notable for containing early plates of the earths interior, and views of spectacular eruptions of mt. The harmony of the birth of the world harmonia nascentis. Kircher has been compared to fellow jesuit roger boscovich and to leonardo da vinci for his enormous range of interests, and has been honoured with the title. Athanasius kircher musurgia universalis sive ars magna consoni. Athanasius kircher musurgia universalis sive ars magna consoni et dissoni free ebook download as pdf file. Kircher has been compared to fellow jesuit roger boscovich and to leonardo da vinci for his. Kircher has been compared to fellow jesuit roger boscovich and to leonardo da vinci for his enormous range of interests, and has been. Athanasius kircher, born may 2, 1601, geisa, abbacy of fulda thuringia, germanydied november 27, 1680, rome italy, jesuit priest and scholar, sometimes called the last renaissance man, important for his prodigious activity in disseminating knowledge kircher learned greek and hebrew at the jesuit school in fulda, pursued scientific and humanistic. In the same year he explained a kind of symbolic logic in another book ars magna sciendi amsterdam 1669 and in a later book tariffa kircheriana rome, 1679 is a set of mathematical.
Platos atlantis is represented as an island in the middle of the atlantic ocean. The last known example of egyptian hieroglyphics dates from ad 394, after which all knowledge of hieroglyphics were lost. The vulcanos, or, burning and firevomiting mountains, famous in the world, with their remarkables. Kircher has been compared to fellow jesuit roger boscovich. Athanasius kircherus, 2 may 1602 28 november 1680 was a german jesuit scholar and polymath who published around 40 major works, most notably in the fields of comparative religion, geology, and medicine. In the same year he explained a kind of symbolic logic in another book ars magna sciendi amsterdam 1669 and in a later book tariffa kircheriana rome, 1679 is a set of mathematical tables. Internationale forschungsbibliografie zu athanasius kircher international bibliography of athanasius kircher research letzte anderung 27. Mundus subterraneus is the most geological of kirchers works. The arca musarithmica also arca musurgia or musical ark is an information device that was invented by jesuit scholar athanasius kircher in the mid 17th century. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any. The last of his books to be published during his lifetime, turris babel was kirchers attempt to reconstruct the specifics surrounding the famous biblical story, recounted in genesis 1011, of nimrods attempt to build a tower that reached the heavens. Kircher has been compared to fellow jesuit roger boscovich and to leonardo da vinci for his enormous range of. Musurgia universalis lute, folk instruments, musical. Athanasius kircher sj musurgia universalis, 1650 socks.
Kircher first described the arca in his book musurgia universalis 1650. Athanasius kircher 16021680 sometimes erroneously spelled kirchner was a 17th century german jesuit scholar who published around 40 works, most notably in the fields of oriental studies, geology, and medicine. Kircher pdf files, in german the museum of jurassic technology in culver city, california includes models of kirchers inventions. Oct 05, 20 john kircher, the father of athanasius, had studied philosophy and theology at mainz, without, however, embracing the priestly calling.
Musurgia universalis sive ars magna consoni et dissoni in x libros digesta. Kircher adds acoustical physics and heavenly music to mundane, human and instrumental music. Book 8 of this work musurgia mirifica is a longer treatise on using combinatoric techniques to construct music. Internationale forschungsbibliografie zu athanasius. Jun 28, 2012 just yesterday we quoted an athanasius kircher s excerpt from his musurgia universalis rome. Jul 30, 20 the museum of jurassic technology describes kirchers turris babel. Athanasius kircher, musurgia universalis rome, 1650. Indeed, all the documents concerning his two visits to rome were found accidentally by scholars researching other subjects. Athanasius kircher 16021680 musurgia universalis, rome, 1650 florence, biblioteca nazionale centrale, magl. Athanasius kircher and his disciples led me to envision the workshop from which this volume originated. He was the author of many books, among them the musurgia universalis, written in 1650, and the phonurgia nova, of 1673.
From frescobaldis craftsmanship to kircher s compositional secrets. Even after pumping the air out of the jar, kircher could still hear the bell, so he concluded incorrectly that air was not required to transmit sound. Athanasius kircher, musurgia universalis iowa research online. Apart from his interest in ancient civilizations and. From his birthplace he was accustomed to add the latin epithet bucho, or buchonius, to his name, although later he preferred calling. Our copy is outstanding for its finely hand coloured illustrations. Catholic encyclopedia 19athanasius kircher wikisource. The book includes plans for constructing waterpowered automatic organs, notations of birdsong and diagrams of musical instruments. A virtual exhibition by the special collections department of the univerity of glasgow. He was active in many different topics, ranging from geology to philosophy.
Musurgia universalis february 2020 athanasius kircher doctor universalis fabulous baroque whose wit, erudition and seem boundless curiosity and has been justly called by one of our friends as the jesuit leonardo stringed instruments. He spent a large part of his life in rome, where he died in 1680. Musurgia universalis athanasius kircher, melanie wald, andreas hirsch snippet view 2006. Kirchers works pantometrum kircherianum wurzburg, 1669, a geometrical work describes a geometric calculator invented by the extraordinary jesuit scientist athanasius kircher. Kircher had an early interest in china, telling his superior in 1629 that he wished to become a missionary to the country. This seminal works of musicology in two volumes seem to have been hugely influential on the works of j. This file is licensed under the creative commons attribution 4. Kircher musurgia universalis university of glasgow.
He also universails the logistics of the ark voyage, speculating on whether extra livestock was brought to feed carnivores and what the daily schedule of feeding and caring for animals must have been. The quatercentenary of the birth of the jesuit polymath, father athanasius kircher 16021680, seemed an appropriate moment to examine one of the most famous volumes of his works in special collections the musurgia universalis published in two volumes in rome in 1650. A biographic article in german about athanasius kircher. Musurgia universalis sive ars magna consoni et dissoni in. He published over 40 works during his life in widely varying fields such as medicine, optics, geology, natural philosophy and music.