Huygens, Christiaan
(1629–1695)
CHRISTIAAN HUYGENSHUYGENS, CHRISTIAANCHRISTIAAN HUYGENS [* 1629-† 1695] The physical and mathematical aspects of musical sound occupied the prominent Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens at various times during his life, though he never published a major work devoted to his findings. He did, however, address a letter—now known as »Novus cyclus harmonicus«—to the editor of the Histoire des ouvrages des sçavans (1691), wherein he added his view on keyboard tuning to the controversy then raging. At…