Klarinet Archive - Posting 000051.txt from 2010/03

From: Joseph Fasel <jhfasel@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Coincidence???
Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:16:33 -0400

To be a little less numerological and mystical, but still a bit
number-theoretic, perhaps the thing about 12 is that it has several
divisors. A choir of 12 can be divided equally into 2, 3, 4, 6, or 12
subchoirs for different kinds of polyphonic texture. This observation
relates to one of the few legitimate arguments for retaining English
systems of measurement in preference to metric: a foot can easily be
divided in inches in half, thirds, or fourths, whereas 10 has only the
proper divisors 2 and 5.

Cheers,
--Joe

On Wed, Mar 17, 2010 at 11:42 AM, Christophe ASTIER
<christophe.astier@-----.fr> wrote:
>
> Hi colleagues,
>
>
> One good reason to pick the number twelve is that it is a "sublime number=
"
> by the definition the mathematicians give to these =A0 (see here :
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sublime_number ).
>
> (Ok 12 is not he only "sublime number", but the next (and only other) one=
is
> 6086555670238378989670371734243169622657830773351885970528324860512791691=
264
> even WA.Mozart would be at pain !)
>
> Regards,
>
> Christophe
>
>
>
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "Dan Leeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2010 6:02 PM
> To: "Klarinet" <klarinet@-----.org>
> Subject: [kl] Coincidence???
>
>>
>> David Whitwell, formerly of Cal State Northridge, brought some interesti=
ng
>> information to my attention:
>>
>> 1] The most important wind ensemble in the court of Louis XIV (1638 -
>> 1715) was the Les Grands Hautbois and it consisted of 12 players.
>>
>> [2] =A0When this idea of an oboe band spread to Germany, beginning c. 16=
90,
>> the ensembles were all 12 players
>>
>> [3] =A0The original of the Handel Fireworks music was for 12 players, 11
>> winds and timpani
>>
>> [4] Mozart's gran Partitta is scored for 12 winds and string bass
>>
>> Was Mozart following some tradition in picking the size of the gran
>> Partitta and not just some larger Harmoniemusik?
>>
>> And is there any logic for the number 12? =A0Perhaps. One of the German =
oboe
>> bands called themselves, "the Apostles."
>>
>> Dan Leeson
>> dnleeson@-----.net
>>
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