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In the history of Western harmony, no single work has been more influential than Plato’s Timaeus. Following in a Pythagorean vein, Plato’s “likely story” of the creation of the universe is inherently mathematical. Expounding upon these Pythagorean ideas, the Timaeus describes a universe harmonious through all four arts that will come to be known as the quadrivium: arithmetic, geometry, harmony, and astronomy, as well the harmonies found within human anatomy.

Early in the dialogue, Plato’s description of the “world soul” introduces the arithmetic ratios that will define Western musical harmony through Boethius, the Medieval era, and into the modern age. This webinar will briefly introduce the Timaeus dialogue and discuss Plato’s development of the arithmetic ratios of musical harmony in more detail.