MUSIC IN COLOUR

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 109, 1 February 1930, Page 21

MUSIC IN COLOUR

Baron Anatol Vietinghof-Scheel. au Austrian musician and scientist, produced his “Light Piano” early in December, at Vienna, before an interested audience consisting largely of experts at the Musikvereinssaal. This , curious instrument has been designed to' support the baron’s theory that there exists an absolute relation between sound and col-, our in nature. . There have been so-ealled light-piunos shown before, but these only enabled a player to produce colours, which, according to his ideas, correspond with the tones of the piece he was trying to reproduce. Baron Scheel, however, claims that his instrument displays colours which realyl correspond in nature to the musical tones produced on its keyboard. The baron started out from the basis that if sound is produced by air waves and colour by ether waves, both being differentiated by the length of the waves, one disturbance might be made to produce the other'. He found that by directing certain coloured lights on to taut gut he could make it vibrate audibly. He then ascertained that the vibrating gut would register on a photographic plate after long exposure in a pitch dark room; and that by varying the tension of the gut, he could vary the colours. Finally., he was able to establish correlation between certain tones and certain colours. The inventor did not explain whether his “Light Piano” establishes colours corresponding to tones presented by the keyboard, or whether it reproduced merely' colours which the inventor, by previous experiment, had discovered to correspond to those tones. The audience watched with great interest the projection on to a screen of colours which changed and danced with every key, pressed, though scientists were not quite convinced. It was easy to see that C natural, for instance, is dark red. During the performance of Chopin s Minute Waltz, the colours danced and changed with harmonious vividness, supporting to some extent the inventor’s claim that the development of “colour-playing will one day add a new aesthetic pleasure to music.

Many people who are seeking artistic ideas for the decoration of their homes,, and who need the advice of experts regarding the choice and combination of materials and colours, would find themselves well repaid by a visit to? the “Wayside Studio,” 113 Molesworth Street. Here they will .find a unique collection of beautiful furniture, specially selected from the most famous Continental and European makers. Here may be found wonderful copies of rare furniture, the originals of which are priceless European treasures, They include delightful suites, as well as single examples of furniture for various types of rooms, but more espefiallv for the dining room is there a collection of old English and Tudor models that lend a desirable air of distinction to good furnishing. There is also an interesting display of beautiful fabrics' for hangings, including new chintzes, tapestries, velours, etc., whilst furnishing detail is evident in the display of choice pieces of richly-designed P.ottery and Brassware.—Advt WO’obs’'”G^MAT'“p’Hi J PEKMINT - CURE —For Influenza, Colds. —Advt.