Oratorium—Auditorium—Laboratorium: Early Modern Improvisations on Cabala, Music, and Alchemy

Forshaw, Peter J.

doi:10.1163/156798910x520584

Cited by 5 publications

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“…In the first place, I agree with my colleague Peter Forshaw, who in a recent article argues that the reader meditating on this mandala-like image enters Khunrath's world by way of the musical instruments resting on the table 5 . Centrally positioned, the table occupies a space midway between the oratory and the laboratory that suggests there is a third kind of magic that takes place in his Amphitheatre .…”

supporting

confidence: 52%

“…5 Centrally positioned, the table occupies a space midway between the oratory and the laboratory that suggests there is a third kind of magic that takes place in his Amphitheatre. We already know that the right side of the room is focused on the material realm of physics, while the left engages with the invisible realm of metaphysics.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Forshaw suggests that since both these instruments closest to the earthly laboratory are fretted, they may represent the quantitative divisions of weight and measure necessary in the alchemical study of nature. 8 In support of this notion there is a set of balance scales and weights behind them as well as an open book with musical staves; collectively they may allude to the Biblical phrase 'thou has ordered all things in measure, number and weight' which was popular among alchemists who saw themselves as engaged in a form of mathematics. Another detail to consider is the number of strings on each of the instruments, which does not correspond to the number they have in real life.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nevertheless, they were both popular among elite amateurs for private use around 1600, and we have already noted that Daniel Mylius published a collection of lute music in 1622. Forshaw suggests that since both these instruments closest to the earthly laboratory are fretted, they may represent the quantitative divisions of weight and measure necessary in the alchemical study of nature 8 . In support of this notion there is a set of balance scales and weights behind them as well as an open book with musical staves; collectively they may allude to the Biblical phrase ‘thou has ordered all things in measure, number and weight’ which was popular among alchemists who saw themselves as engaged in a form of mathematics.…”

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Transforming Matter, Refining the Spirit: Alchemy, Music and Experimental Philosophy around 1600

Gouk¹

2013

European Review

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Although tracing its origins back to antiquity, a distinctly new kind of alchemy emerged in mid-16th-century Europe. This new tradition developed out of the teachings of Paracelsus (1493–1541), a German medical practitioner who challenged the authority of university-trained physicians. He sought to establish a reformed kind of medicine based on first-hand experience of the natural world rather than dry scholastic texts. Alchemy was at the heart of this new medicine, a body of experimental practice and theory that not only held out the promise of improving the health of individuals but could also be applied to wider sicknesses of society.

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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