An Ancient Greek Dance

AN ANCIENT GREEK DANCE In the very earliest origins of what we now call ‘music, rhythm very likely predates melody – the most primitive and driving force behind what later was to become the communication of elevated aesthetic emotions through sound. Therefore, in this experimental EP, I have discovered with my experiments in playing techniques, based on the practical possibilities and limitations of the instruments themselves, that by using the much more massive replica 2,500 year old carved plectrums of wood or animal bone, that the lyres of antiquity could also provide powerful rhythmic beats, simply by the technique of sometimes using the plectrum as a baton to beat rhythm against the soundboard or sides of the instrument – in much the same way that more experimental guitarists today, can beat rhythm by hitting the soundboard of their guitar whilst they play. I am not claiming that the techniques I use in this album were definitely used in antiquity by ancient lyre players – however, through my experimentation with the possibilities and limitations of accurate replicas of both the instruments and the plectrums used to play them, I can certainly claim that the rhythmic techniques I have developed with the replica carved lyre plectrum are definitely within the possibilities of ancient lyre playing technique and that therefore, any ancient lyre player, with any shred of musical imagination, could certainly have used exactly the same techniques I have used. All of these compositions are in ancient Greek musical modes and other more exotic documented ancient Greek scales - tracks 1 and 2 are in the micro-tonal Achytas Enharmonic Genus which features intense-sounding quarter tones; a unique palette of musical intervals long-forgotten in our sadly relentlessly standardized, bland modern Western musical soundscape. I also tune my lyres to authentically pure intervals in just intonation. The lyres featured in this EP, were all handmade in modern Greece by Luthieros – featuring their reconstructions of both the tortoise shell lyre and tortoise shell form lyres (which indeed, with a soundboard of skin stretched over a resonator of either an actual tortoise shell or in wood carved in the form of the tortoise shell, were in essence, a strung drum) and their magnificent reconstruction of the kithara of Classical antiquity – the large wooden lyre played only by the professional musicians of ancient Greece. THE TRACKS 1. “An Ancient Greek Dance” - a highly rhythmic improvisation for solo chelys (tortoise shell form) lyre, based on a hauntingly evocative documented microtonal scale from ancient Greece, known as the Archytas enharmonic genus: http://www.ex-tempore.org/ARCHYTAS/ARCHYTAS.html The use of quarter tones in this ancient Greek scale adds an intensity to the resulting music improvised in it in an entirely different dimension to the artificial constraints of our monotonously standardized 12 note chromatic system. The chelys (tortoise shell form) lyre I am playing is the Lyre of Apollo III, handmade in modern Greece by Luthieros: 2. “Apollo and the Nine Muses” – this piece was inspired by an ancient sculpture depicting Apollo playing his kithara, whilst the nine muses dance to his music: https://hellenismo.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/apollo_muses.jpg This piece once more features the exotic microtonal ancient Greek scale, “The Archytas Enharmonic Genus” and is also performed on the Luthieros “Lyre of Apollo III” chelys form lyre. The nine Muses of ancient Greek mythology were are follows: Clio: The Muse Clio discovered history and kithara. History was named Clio in the ancient years, because it refers to “kleos” the Greek word for the heroic acts. Clio was always represented with a clarion in the right arm and a book in the left hand. Euterpe: Muse Euterpe discovered several musical instruments, courses and dialectic. She was always depicted holding a flute, while many instruments were always around her. Thalia: Muse Thalia was the protector of comedy; she discovered comedy, geometry, architectural science and agriculture. She was also protector of Symposiums. She was always depicted holding a theatrical – comedy mask. Melpomene: Opposite from Thalia, Muse Melpomene was the protector of Tragedy; she invented tragedy, rhetoric speech and Melos. She was depicted holding a tragedy mask and usually bearing a bat. Terpsichore: Terpsichore was the protector of dance; she invented dances, the harp and education. She was called Terpsichore because she was enjoying and having fun with dancing (“Terpo” in Greek refers to be amused). She was depicted wearing laurels on her head, holding a harp and dancing. Erato: Muse Erato was the protector of Love and Love Poetry – as well as wedding. Her name comes from the Greek word “Eros” that refers to the feeling of falling in love. She was depicted holding a lyre and love arrows and bows. Polymnia: Muse Polymnia was the protector of the divine hymns and mimic art; she invented geometry and grammar. She was depicted looking up to the Sky, holding a lyre. Ourania: Muse Ourania was the protector of the celestial objects and stars; she invented astronomy. She was always depicted bearing stars, a celestial sphere and a bow compass. Calliope: Muse Calliope was the superior Muse. She was accompanying kings and princes in order to impose justice and serenity. She was the protector of heroic poems and rhetoric art. According to the myth, Homer asks from Calliope to inspire him while writing Iliad and Odyssey, and, thus, Calliope is depicted holding laurels in one hand and the two Homeric poems in the other hand. 3. “Demeter’s Grief for Persephone” - an improvisation for replica ancient Greek kithara in the mournful and distinctively poignant ancient Greek Phrygian Mode (equivalent intervals as D-D on the white notes of the piano and misnamed the 'Dorian' mode in the Middle Ages). I tune my kithara in authentically pure just intonation. The Kithara featured, is the Lutherios wonderfully recreated “Kithara of the Golden Age”, complete with its replica 2,500 year old advanced vibrato mechanism. This mechanism, accurately based on the countless illustrations of the ancient Greek kithara in classical art, features perfectly balanced wooden springs beneath the yoke, which allow lateral movement of the strings whenever either of the vertical levers rising from the yoke are operated: In Greek mythology, Persephone is the daughter of Zeus and the harvest goddess Demeter, and is the queen of the underworld. One day while Persephone was gathering flowers, Hades, god of the underworld, captured her. No one had any idea where she had gone to or what had happened to her. Demeter was sick with worry and grief. She asked Helios the sun god what had happened. When she learned that Hades had captured her daughter she became very angry. For a year she caused crops and plants to wither and die. A terrible famine gripped the earth. Zeus commanded that Hades release Persephone. Persephone was overjoyed. However he tricked her into eating some pomegranate seeds before she left the underworld. He knew that if she ate anything from the land of the dead, she would have to return to him for a part of each year. Demeter was delighted that her daughter had returned to her. However every time Persephone had to return to Hades, Demeter mourned terribly again. This is why for a part of each year the plants and crops stop growing. When Persephone returns to earth, the land once again bursts with life. The myth of the abduction of Persephone represents her function as the personification of vegetation, which shoots forth in spring and withdraws into the earth after harvest; hence, she is also associated with spring as well as the fertility of vegetation... 4. “Ode to Euterpe" - a spontaneous improvisation for replica ancient Greek tortoise shell lyre in the distinctively dreamy-sounding ancient Greek Hypolydian Mode (equivalent intervals as F-F on the white notes of the piano and misnamed the 'Lydian' mode in the Middle Ages). This piece features the Luthieros “Golden Lyre of Erato” – a tortoise shell lyre so authentically constructed, that it is almost like taking the reconstruction of the 2,400 year old “Elgin Lyre” out of its display cabinet at the British museum and playing it: Euterpe was one of the nine Mousai (Muses), the goddesses of music, song and dance. Her name was derived from the Greek words eu- and terpô, meaning "giver of much delight." In Classical times, when the Muses were assigned specific artistic spheres, Euterpe was named Muse of lyric poetry. Her attribute was the double-flute (aulos). The hypnotic, almost sitar-like buzzing timbre of this lyre, is caused by the incredibly authentic bench-shaped bridge, compared with the sharp 'A' shaped bridge of our modern guitar. A flatter, bench shaped bridge means that the strings therefore have a wider surface area over which they transmit their vibrations to the resonator of the lyre - they buzz against this flatter area of the bridge. I attempt to demonstrate some of the playing techniques which would have been possible on this lyre, by any ancient Greek musician with any musical imagination - for example, using the greater mass of the replica carved plectrum both as a baton to hit the strings like a hammered dulcimer in the intro and ending, as well as to beat rhythm on the instrument itself with the large replica carved wooden plectrum. 5. "The Battle of Troy" - an improvisation for the Luthieros replica ancient Greek kithara, in the favourite ancient Greek mode of Plato himself; the ancient Greek Dorian Mode, which he considered the most 'manly' and noble of the musical modes, capable even of inspiring bravery in battle. Misnamed the 'Phrygian' mode in the Middle Ages, this intensely introspective mode is the equivalent intervals as E-E on the white notes of the piano.

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