Harmony of the Birth of the World (Harmonia Nascentis Mundi), illustration from 'Musurgia Universalis',...

Harmony represented by the depiction of a cosmic organ with six registers corresponding to the six days of the creation of the world; under the organ's keyboard is printed the legend 'Sic ludit in orbe terrarum aeterna Dei Sapientia' ('Thus plays the wisdom of the Everlasting God in the earthly orb'); the six scenes in circles show the creation of light, the seas, the earth and plants, the planets, animals and man; Athanasius Kircher (1602-80) German Jesuit scholar and polymath; his 'Musurgia Universalis' is a seminal work of musicology, published in Rome in 2 volumes in 1650 and was very influential in the development of Western music, especially influencing J.S. Bach (1685-1750) and Beethoven (1770-1827);