Music in the Story[]
Music has been used in the story in several ways. First, the obvious (entertainment): there are operas; the circus has a music master and a calliope; etc. Also, Agatha retrofitted the wagons of the Circus into a Battle Circus controlled by the Silverodeon's music.
The canon makes several references to music.
- piano lessons ✣
- the Heterodyne sparks' characteristic Heterodyning
- a hive engine queen can issue commands to her warrior wasps via some sort of musical communication ✣
- music in Paris, including the chorus ✣ at the Island of the Monkey Girls
- the Vienna Mechanikopera
- The Jägerfräulein at Mamma Gkika's, both above and below ground.
- The castle occasionally stops talking and provides a musical interlude. Once ✣ the composer is Tympanus Heterodyne.
- Several characters are musicians:
- Agatha Heterodyne (organ,[1] spinet,[2] and presumably the piano[3]).
- Gilgamesh Wulfenbach (composer,[4] mechanical orchestra)
- André, music master of Master Payne's Circus of Adventure
- Dimo claims ✣ that his family was musical.
- Master Payne evidently plays ✣ the Gaffophone. (Or according to the print novels, the "petite Gaffophone.")
- Professor Moonsock and her mysterious colleague Professor Therm play ukulele-type instruments.
- Phil Foglio is mainly a storyteller, but while doing time in stir, he is shown playing a lute.
- Various clanks play music:
Styles of music[]
Music similar to real-world European classical music is likely widespread within the universe, given the reference to Parisian and Viennese opera. Also, an organ figures prominently in the story; organ repertoire is closely associated with classical music.
Other styles of music also exist. Gil wrote a piece which was described as "dance music" to be played by his Mechanical Orchestra, presumably inspired by music he heard in Paris.
Music as a motif[]
Perhaps musical ability associated with the Spark?