Descartes, René
(1596–1650)
RENÉ DESCARTESDESCARTES, RENÉRENÉ DESCARTES [* 1596-† 1650] René Descartes, French philosopher, conducted numerous precise scientific experiments relating to music and sound and studied natural phenomena in an attempt to determine their mechanistic characteristics. His Musicae compendium, written in 1618, was published posthumously in 1650. The work reveals that Descartes placed the major third after the octave and fifth in order of consonance while denying such status for the fourth. The…