Intervals, Scales, Tones and the Concert Pitch C

Book excerpt: Why is it that certain intervals, scales, and tones sound genuine, while others sound false? Is the modern person able to experience a qualitative difference in a tone's pitch? If so, what are the implications for modern concert pitch and how instruments of fixed tuning are tuned? Renold tackles these and many other questions and provides a wealth of scientific data. Her pioneering work is the result of a lifetime of research into the Classical Greek origin of Western music and the search for modern developments. She deepens our musical understanding by using Rudolf Steiner's spiritual science as a basis, and she elucidates many of his puzzling statements about music. The results of her work include the following discoveries: The octave has two sizes (a 'genuine' sounding octave is bigger than the "perfect octave"). There are three sizes of "perfect fifths." An underlying "form principle" for all scales can be found. Equal temperament is not the most satisfactory method of tuning a piano. She provides a basis for some of Steiner's statements, such as, "C is always prime," and "C = 128 Hz = Sun." Here is a valuable resource for those who wish to understand the deeper, spiritual aspects of music.