Le cycle harmonique & Novus cyclus harmonicus

The mentioned titles are also presented in Dutch and English translations. Huygen’s dealings with tuning and temperaments are detailedly described from the first beginnings in 1661 onwards. In addition, the edition contains an English translation of Huygen’s Latin text on the monochord of August 1661, which describes meantone tuning as well as instructions how to apply this tuning.

1986

ISBN 90-70907-09-7 (paper)

179 pp. - 17 illus.

15 x 21 cm

€30 or US$30

Preface		7

Introduction
1.	Short biography	10
2.	Musical education	13
3.	Musical activities: The early years (1649–1666)	19
4.	Musical activities: The middle years (1666–1681)	25
5.	Musical activities: The later years (1681–1695)	26
6.	Huygens and the theory of music	30
7.	Notation	40
8.	Tuning and temperament: The early years (1661–1666)	45
9.	Tuning and temperament: The middle years (1666–1681)	56
10.	Tuning and temperament: 1691	61
11.	Keyboards	69
12.	The Codex Hugenianus 27 of the Leiden University Library	76
13.	The Histoire des Ouvrages des Sçavans	85
14.	The Lettre touchant le cycle harmonique	91
15.	Huygens’ significance as a theorist of tuning and temperament	99
Notes		108

Bibliography		115


Christiaan Huygens: The division of the monochord		121


CHRISTIAAN HUYGENS: LETTRE TOUCHANT LE CYCLE HARMONIQUE		129

CHRISTIAAN HUYGENS: NOVUS CYCLUS HARMONICUS		143

English translation: Letter concerning the harmonic cycle		155

Nederlandse vertaling: Brief betreffende de harmonische cyclus		165

Index		175


TABLES

Table I.	Systemata indeterminatum and determinatum	50
Table II.	Interval sizes in meantone and 31-tone tunings	54
Table III.	Temperings in meantone and 31-tone tunings	55


MUSIC EXAMPLE

Music example 1.	Courante in E minor by Christiaan Huygens	43


ILLUSTRATIONS

Figure 1.	Constantijn Huygens and his children, by Hanneman	14
Figure 2.	Christiaan Huygens, by Netscher	27
Figure 3.	Christiaan Huygens, by Clérion	29
Figure 4.	Christiaan Huygens, by Vaillant	40
Figure 5.	Si du triste recit	41
Figure 6.	Courante by Christiaan Huygens	42
Figure 7.	Systemata indeterminatum and determinatum	51
Figure 8.	Division de l’octave en 31 parties egales	58
Figure 9.	Huygens’ monochord	60
Figure 10.	Autograph table of Lettre	63
Figure 11.	Keyboards with split upper keys	70
Figure 12.	Twleve-tone keyboard with pins	73
Figure 13.	12-tone/19-tone transposing keyboard	75
Figure 14.	12-tone/31-tone transposing keyboards	77
Figure 15.	Christiaan Huygens, by Edelinck	92
Figure 16.	Christiaan Huygens, by Fokkens	93
Figure 17.	31-tone circle by Quirinus van Blankenburg	105

The Diapason Press

Tuning and Temperament Library

Christiaan Huygens

LE CYCLE HARMONIQUE
(Rotterdam 1691)
NOVUS CYCLUS HARMONICUS
(Leiden 1724)
with Dutch and English translations

edited by Rudolf Rasch

TTL 6

Contents