Tuning Interpretation of Bach's '1722 Seal' as Beats Per Second

[Charles]

A short article (PDF) on this topic is available at:

http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Articles/Bach_Seal.pdf



Kind regards

Charles

[Thomas Wood]

Post by Charles
http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Articles/Bach_Seal.pdf

Was there any method in 1722 of measuring Hertz? Or even seconds?

Tom Wood

[Charles]

Post by Thomas Wood

Post by Charles
http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Articles/Bach_Seal.pdf

Was there any method in 1722 of measuring Hertz? Or even seconds?

In the article above, 'Hertz' means beats per second.

You may, for example, buy a late 17th Century clock, second pointer
included:

http://www.faccents.com/item615.html


With regard to the situation in Cöthen, Andreas Sparschuh writes:

"about ~1485 Peter Henlein invented the pocket watch:
http://www.google.de/search?hl=de&q=nuernberg+egg+henlein&meta=
at ~1700 the best German pocket watches came from Cöthen
especially from the clock-maker-master: Johann Rudolf Fischer
who was employed then at the same Cöthen court like Bach too.

The former director Dr. Hoppe of the Cöthen museum (Bach-Gedenkstätte)
informed me about "Bach"s clock:

"Die barocke Bodenstanduhr in der Bach-Gedenkstätte
kann ca. um 1715 datiert werden. Sie ist gefertigt worden im
Auftrag des Fürsten August Ludwig von Anhalt-Köthen ( 1697-1755) deshalb
die Initialen AL. Der Uhrmacher ist Uhrmachermeister Johann Rudolf Fischer.
Fischer ist ab 1705 in Köthen nachweisbar und ab 1725 preußischer
Hofuhrmachermeister in Berlin. Ein Pendant unserer Uhr befindet sich in
Mosigkau. "

translation:
The baroque long-case grandfather-clock in the Bach-museum can be
dated back to about ~1715. It was made by order of sovereign
August Ludwig von Anhalt-Cöthen (1697-1755), therefore the Initials A.L.
in the dial of the clock face.
Clock-maker is clock-maker-master Johann Rudolf Fischer.
Fischer is traceable in Cöthen from 1705, and from 1725 Prussian
court clock-maker-master (employed by king Frederick II, the great).
A pedant of the Bach-Gedenkstätte clock can be found in Mosigkau too"


Sparschuh also notes:

"The 'Bach' pendulum clock and its pedant are both well preserved
and work still in their duty to count seconds (pendulum length: 456
Parisian lines = todays ~99,4... cm) clicking clearly hearable.
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sekundenpendel

When ever you visit the:
http://www.google.de/search?hl=de&q=bach+Gedenkst%C3%A4tte+k%C3%B6then&meta=
don't miss Fischer's clock!"


Incidentally, Mattheson refers to musicians carrying pocket watches:

http://bach.tuning.googlepages.com/mattheson

I presume such gadgets were designed to tick in some relation to a second,
but a horologist would need to confirm that.


Regards
Charles

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
http://bach.tuning.googlepages.com/
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Thomas Wood]

I knew seconds became a common measure of time in the course of the 18th
century, but I wasn't sure if they were used much in the 1720s.

But -- how could Bach measure beats per second?

Tom Wood

[Charles]

Post by Thomas Wood
I knew seconds became a common measure of time in the course of the 18th
century, but I wasn't sure if they were used much in the 1720s.
But -- how could Bach measure beats per second?

There isn't any requirement to measure beats per second as such, but rather
to recognise a tempo of one beat per second (i.e. 60 beats per minute). Such
a facility might be trained by playing a piece such as the opening Book I
WTC Prelude at the rate of a ticking clock.

Incidentally, Mersenne makes reference to some individuals claiming to tune
Equal Temperament at 1 beat per second in the range of pitches around middle
C.


Regards
Charles

[Arthur Ness]

The monochord.

Post by Thomas Wood
I knew seconds became a common measure of time in the course of the 18th
century, but I wasn't sure if they were used much in the 1720s.
But -- how could Bach measure beats per second?

There isn't any requirement to measure beats per second as such, but rather
to recognise a tempo of one beat per second (i.e. 60 beats per minute). Such
a facility might be trained by playing a piece such as the opening Book I
WTC Prelude at the rate of a ticking clock.

Incidentally, Mersenne makes reference to some individuals claiming to tune
Equal Temperament at 1 beat per second in the range of pitches around middle
C.


Regards
Charles