Newtonian Music

An example of Newton’s interest in the idea of music as an organising principle in nature can be found in his work of popular science, Opticks (1704). Curiosity as to relationships between light and musical sound had been aroused following Newton’s claim (c.1672) that sunlight is a compound that separates into seven colours when refracted through a prism. The slightly later discovery by former Queens’ member John Wallis (and others) that musical sound is a compound of harmonic pitches raised further questions. With these in mind, Newton proposed a mathematical correlation between the sines of the seven colours and the ratios between seven notes of the musical scale. Although ultimately spurious, the idea was seized on by philosophers and musicians eager to demonstrate the unity of nature and music's basis in it.

Author: Isaac Newton
Title: Opticks or, A treatise of the reflexions, refractions, inflexions and colours of light (London, 1704)
Shelfmark: A.14.27
Provenance: Formerly owned by Isaac Milner (1750–1820)

A.14.27