MU 41 Lecture 2 - Music of Antiquity

MHST 752 - Music theory and musical thought in Antiquity

I. Important Greco-Roman writers on music A. Pythagoreas (d. circa 497 BC) 1. Numbers provide key to understanding music a. Story in text - anyone remember? b. Probably apocryphal 2. But - discovered that intervals can be expressed using mathematical ratios a. See handout b. Octave - 2:1 c. Fifth - 3:2 d. Fourth - 4:3 e. All others can be expressed by ratio also f. Mathematical basis for music g. Also thought same pitches produced by relative distances and speed of planetary motion i. Just couldn't hear - too far away ii. "Music of the Spheres" B. Aristoxenus (fl. c. 320 BC) 1. Really 1st musical "theorist", Harmonic Elements first treatise 2. Classification of elements of music a. Related to strings of a kithara - In same way we visualize musical space using keyboard b. Note names: A-P c. Organized into groups of 4 notes called tetrachords i. Both fixed and musical tones ii. Fixed pitches give boundary of 4th iii. Interior pitches vary aa. Greek system included quarter tones, so quite a bit of musical space in diatonic 4th iv. Tetrachords could be: diatonic, chromatic, or enharmonic

v. Don't worry about specifics d. Neither idea adopted exactly in Medieval Europe, but letter names for notes as gen. idea retained e. As was Aristoxenus’ idea of combining tetrachords

i. Two tetrachords that share common note - conjunct ii. Two tetrachords with one tone separating - disjunct

iii. Comes to be accepted as standard definition of musical space - the octave e. As does his “Greater Perfect System” i. Two octave system aa. Alternation of conjunct and disjunct tetrachords bb. With added note at bottom - A – proslambanomenos

3. Also, first idea of organizing melody based on arrangement of tones and semitones a. At 1st within single 8ve (can do with microtones) b. Then on successive pitches c. Various theorists recognize different number d. Given names associated with music of diff. ethnic groups e. Names NOT same as medieval ones, so ignore 4. Eventually came to be known as harmoniai = modes a. Particularly scales associated with diff. groups of peoples known to the Greeks based on the sound quality b. Aristotle: “The musical modes differ essentially from one another, and those who hear them are differently affected by each. Some of them make men sad and grave, like the so-called Mixolydian; others enfeeble the mind, like the relaxed modes (Lydian); another, again, produces a moderate and settled temper, which appears to be the peculiar effect of the Dorian; the Phrygian inspires enthusiasm.” C. Idea of certain types of music having certain affects central to Greco-Roman musical thought D. Believed to have sacred, moral, and therapeutic powers 1. Not in vague sense, either - taken very seriously 2. "Right" and "wrong" kinds of music a. Music could calm brawling fighters, cure diseases, communicate with Gods, encourage bravery and strength b. But could also encourage drunkenness, sloth, laziness (particularly associated with music of the aulos) i. "There could be no greater detriment to the morals of a community than a gradual perversion of chaste and modest music." ii. Sound familiar? E. Boethius 1. Writings of both Pythagoreas and Aristoxenus transmitted to Europe by Boethius a. Roman statesman b. Falsely accused of treason and imprisoned by Goth emperor Theodoric c. While in prison wrote an encyclopedia (De Consoloatione Philosophiae) and other books, including one on music (De Institutione Musica = The Principles of Music) i. Became standard music "textbook" of the Middle Ages ii. Widely copied and distributed b. De Institutione Musica - in addition to above, describes: i. Seven liberal arts a. System of education b. Divided into verbal and mathematical i. Trivium: grammar, rhetoric, logic ii. Quadrivium: arithemetic, geometry, music, astronomy c. Note - Music considered a mathematical discipline

d. Considered to be a musician if you understood the math, NOT if you could sing or play an instrument e. “There are three types of person that are involved in music. The first is the type that performs on instruments, the second composes songs, and the third judges the performances and the songs. The type that is completely consumed by instruments is separated form the understanding of musical knowledge. There people spend all their efforts showing off their skill on their instruments. So they are like slaves, for they use no reason and are without any thought. The second type is the composer. These people compose songs not by thought and reason but simply by a certain natural instinct. They are also separated from music. The third type has the ability to judge. They can ponder rhythms and melodies and songs in general. It is these people who are completely devoted to reason and thought and can therefore rightly be considered musicians. ii. Division of music into 3 types: aa. Musica mundana - music of the Spheres bb. Musica humana - vocal music cc. Musica instrumentalis dd. In order of importance 4. Will encounter most of these ideas again when get into medieval music theory, so keep in mind!