KIRCHER, Athanasius
Phonurgia, nova sive Conjugium Mechanico-physicum Artis et Naturae Paranympha honosophia Concinnatum Kaempten: Rudolph Dreherr, 1673 First edition. Folio, [46], 229, [16] pp. plus 1 blank leaf. Engraved title, engraved vignette on letterpress title, engraved portrait, 2 engraved plates. Contemporary stiff vellum. Yet another product of Kircher's prodigious and insatiable intellect. He once again takes up the entire encyclopedic scope of his subject - physical acoustics, musical acoustics, ancient and contemporary musical instruments, architectural acoustics, with sidebars on sound transmission at a distance and methods to eavesdrop on conversations. The figure illustrates a keyboard instrument invented by his contemporary Michele Todini. The engraved title page is an extraordinary baroque fantasia. |
![]() Engraved titlepage, Phonurgia Nova,Kaempten 1673. |
![]() A keyboard instrument invented by Michele Todini, Phonurgia Nova,Kaempten 1673.. |