Ancient Greek Music (recording)

[walter sikora]

I have an French made album (vinyl) called _Musique de la Grece Antique_ 
on the Harmonia Mundi label (HM 1015).  It seems quite scholarly.  I don't
know if it's still in print.

It came with extensive notes which mention "two systems of notaion: one
instrumental, comprised of 15 distinct signs probably derived from an
archaic alphabet, and the other vocal based on the 24 letters of the Ionic
alphabet.  The two types of notation were used indiscriminately as is borne
out by the Delphic Hymns and the Pythian Ode of Pindar.  The latter has
come down to us thanks to Atanasius Kircher who studied it and made a copy
of it in the 16th century."

Reconstructed instruments are used.  It is very well recorded.

To my ear,  much of the music  sounds occult, a little frightening or at
least very pagan. It produces a some culture shock.   Much like the
unpleasant effect of Fellini's _Satyricon_.  (Fellini said he was trying to
recreate the feel of the world before the  the advent of Christianity.)  


Walter Sikora, RPT
Chapel Hill, NC
----------
> From: Anne Beetem <abeetem@wizard.net>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: Ancient Greek Music
> Date: Sunday, February 01, 1998 9:57 PM
> 
> >Ann(e)  Beetem mentioned "beautiful ancient Greek music" which got me
> >wondering if such a thing exists. Did the ancient Greeks have musical
> >notation? Another thing I heard waas that not one Greek lyre has been
> >preserved to the present day. These are often the forst illustration in
> >piano history books. Any comments?
> >
> >
> >Philip Jamison
> >West Chester, PA
> 
> 
> Of course it did.  Where do you think Dorian, Phyrgian, Lydian,....modes
> came from?  Did they have notation?   I am not certain.   The last time I
> read about and wrote about Greek music I was in grade  school.    There
are
> sufficient memorializations of Greeks playing music in the plays, in
> sculpture and architectural friezes to consider as evidence.
> 
> ab
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Anne Beetem
> Harpsichords & Historic Pianos
> 2070 Bingham Ct.
> Reston, VA  20191
> abeetem@wizard.net
>