Musical cosmology
In his writings from the 70s, Nørgård interprets the three developed hierarchies (the infinity row, the golden rhythms and the over and undertone harmonics) as an expression of the harmony of the universe. He refers to the distances between the planets, their orbital periods, and the attempts that have been made throughout the ages to link these phenomena with, for example, the structure of the diatonic scale and the overtone row.

The infinity row is linked to creation myths and the weekly rhythm. In the present context, however, further exploration of these ideas would be beyond the scope of this material. It is a complicated subject, calling for knowledge of the mysticism of numbers as well as of astrological and mythological ideas. Those who wish to explore this subject further are referred to three articles in particular: Myter og musik (Myths and Music), Er diatonik et universelt fænomen? (Is Diatonics a Universal Phenomenon?), and Introduktion til hierarkisk genesis (Introduction to Hierarchical Genesis) (all printed in Per Nørgård Artikler 1962-82).

In this connection, when references are made to Nature and to archetypal elements, this is because of their power to expand consciousness. These interrelationships cannot, of course, be heard directly, but regarding a work of music as not simply an autonomous story, but also as a piece of cosmology can force consciousness to penetrate deeper into the endless universe of sonorous phenomena.
The universe of sonority