The theories of Helmholtz in the work of Varèse

In 1905 Varèse discovered the French edition of Die Lehre von den Tonempfindungen als physiologische Grundlage für die Theorie der Musik [On the Sensations of Tone as a Physiological Basis for the Theory of Music] of Hermann von Helmholtz (1863), the explicit intention of which was to bring together the common frontiers of science and music. This discovery was a revelation for the 22-year-old composer that went on to condition his whole philosophy of sound. The experiences of the German scientist, achieved with the aid of sirens, resonators or tuning forks, caught the imagination of the young composer. This article investigates the importance of the theories of Helmholtz for the Varèsian aesthetic and tries to put into context the methods of composition inspired by these experiments concerning the spectral constitution of timbres, resultant sounds and beating. We also examine the ways in which a change in the understanding of consonance, initiated by Helmholtz, drove Varèse towards an original conception of atonality.