D'Alembert et la théorie harmonique de Rameau

Abstract

Françoise Escal : Music and science. D'Alembert v. Rameau. The scholastic tradition made a clear distinction between the art of composition and theoretical speculation ; Rameau for the first time tried to unify them. In his opinion, music is not an art but above all a science. Starting from Sauveur's discovery of the series of harmonics, Rameau proceeded to a mathematical rationalisation of the properties of sound. Harmony, which generates arithmetical, geometrical and harmonic proportions, thus becomes the model for other sciences and for arts based on calculation, such as architecture. Rameau soon identified musical harmony with universal harmony. D'Alembert opposed this all-embracing conception and in the Discours préliminaire to his Elements de musique..., took issue with each aspect of Rameau's theory and asserted the autonomy of art in relation to science.