Behind the scenes: sound and theatre
Leonardo's interests touched every area of human creativity. His work as an artist occupied a large part of his time, but he was also the creator of theatrical scenes and props in which, just as in his paintings, his scientific vision of nature is manifested. Dr. Domenico Laurenza, Museo Galileo, Florence.
Codex Arundel, Arundel MS 263, ff.262v-257r (1478–1518) by Leonardo da Vinci Original Source: Arundel MS 263
Where does sound come from?
To match his curiosity about optics, Leonardo was also interested in the causes of sound.
These two notes without illustrations study the origin of the buzzing of the fly, which he attributes to friction between air and wings and not to a voice emitted from the mouth of the insect.
Making music
In this sketch he considers various types of drums and studies how the various tension of the skin or membrane creates different sounds. He therefore devises mechanical systems to loosen or increase the tension.
Codex Arundel, Arundel MS 263, f.018r (1478–1518) by Leonardo da Vinci Original Source: Arundel MS 263
In this carefully drawn diagram Leonardo investigates angles of percussion. Here, he calculates the distances travelled by objects of the same shape and weight when they strike another object from different angles.
Codex Arundel, Arundel MS 263, ff.174v-175r (1478–1518) by Leonardo da Vinci Original Source: Arundel MS 263
Among the wind instruments of these drawings a flute and a trumpet can be recognised. Most of the drawings concern the trumpet, for which he studied new forms of keys.
Setting the stage
The following sheets refer to the stage of a theatrical representation of Poliziano’s Orpheus, based on the fable of Orpheus and Eurydice.
Codex Arundel, Arundel MS 263, f.231v (1478–1518) by Leonardo da Vinci Original Source: Arundel MS 263
In the lower left of this sheet are the two doors of a movable dome simulating a mountain, which opened to reveal Pluto and the other infernal gods rising from the underworld.
Here, Leonardo describes various mechanisms for the horizontal movement of the dome and vertical movement of the characters.
Codex Arundel, Arundel MS 263, f.224r (1478–1518) by Leonardo da Vinci Original Source: Arundel MS 263
These sets were made in Milan around 1506-7 when Leonardo was working for the new French government.
The theatre scenes of the time were dominated by buildings in perspective.
The drawings of papier-mâché mountains show Leonardo’s a preference for natural forms.
