[Harp-L] names, Latin and organ

[Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Vern wrote:

"It should be sufficient to explain that the name of the note "C" is  
arbitrary. It may be that it came from "cantus", the name of a 2"  
organ pipe. With his mind set, he will probably ask "Why was a 2"  
organ pipe called a cantus?" And away you go, chasing your tail."

Um, I'm not sure where that came from.  I don't know the Latin names  
of organ pipes offhand, but really they don't have any relation to  
the time-period in discussion.  The Roman organ (the Hydraulus) had  
long since ceased to exist in Western Europe when the modern note  
names were coming into being.  The organ in Europe at the time was  
the Blockwerk organ, where the range of pipes really wasn't  
distinguished.  Later, when pitches, types and the like were being  
sorted and singled out, "cantus" was not something used for a 2' pipe  
(that's 2 foot, not 2 inches, the later being, well, I can't figure  
out the pitch right now, but a 2' pipe is essentially middle C of the  
treble clef).

Certainly, for the last three hundred odd years (I'd be willing to go  
to four, but I've not examined any organs that old) "cantus" has not  
been the name for any organ stop, pitch or anything else about the  
instrument itself.



 ()()    JR "Bulldogge" Ross
()  ()   & Snuffy, too:)
`----'