Mathesis as the source of beauty in music

Abstract

The juxtaposing Latin phrase musica mathematica can have a twofold interpretation as ‘mathematical music’ and/or ‘musical mathematics’ and clearly presents the intersection of seemingly opposite fields. The Latin ars generally covers the different subjects of arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music; meaning not only ‘art’, but also ‘science’; not only ‘skill’ and ‘craft’, but ‘knowledge’ as well. Over the course of different epochs, music theory has been classified as Latin musica theorica, theoretica, contemplativa, speculativa, arithmetica etc. Theory was the domain of the scientist who came armed with academic knowledge and who studied the esoteric secrets of music. The philosophically based scientific approach to the subject of music is the general focus of the article highlighting the raise and establishment of quadrivium phenomena, the commonalities between musical and mathematical terminology and actions as well as the systematization of constructive and semantic composing of music in the 20th–21st centuries.