Music History
MUSI4813
5/20/09
Music History Synopsis
Ancient Greece
Major Political events- Much of the written compositions made in this time were destroyed or went missing as the Christian church got rid of pagan influences. Rome was overthrown and Europe went into turmoil and people focused less on music and more on survival.
Historical perspective- Aristotle and Plato wrote about music which they believed to have moral and ethical properties essential to the complete education of young students. Their aesthetic, scientific, and philosophical concepts concerning music influenced the history of Western music. The words used for musical concepts, systems of tuning, the science of sound, and the belief that music has the ability to evoke emotion all come from Greek roots. They believed that music meant “the art of the Muses” who were the goddesses of all arts. They considered poetry and music nearly the synonymous. Music was thought to have been invented by the gods for their own pleasure. One story is of Orpheus, the half mortal son of the god Apollo who plays the lyre so divinely and the story of his retrieval of his wife Euridice has been put to music. Pythagoras studied acoustics, the tuning of musical instruments, and measured intervals.
Visual, literary, and performing arts- Much of their art has been copied and excavated and uncovered from Pompeii and Herculaneum. Not many examples of music were left behind. There were athletic games, and poetry recitals. Music was combined with other arts: drama, poetry, and dancing. Classical music comes from the God Apollo whereas romantic music came from Dionysus who played the aulos.
Major Composers- Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides all had dramas that were written to be sung and danced.
Musical forms- They improvised on the spot, creating and performing their works. Many people don’t know how the music actually sounded. The drinking song is one example: “Epitaph of Seikilos.” It was generally monophonic
5/20/09
Music History Synopsis
Ancient Greece
Major Political events- Much of the written compositions made in this time were destroyed or went missing as the Christian church got rid of pagan influences. Rome was overthrown and Europe went into turmoil and people focused less on music and more on survival.
Historical perspective- Aristotle and Plato wrote about music which they believed to have moral and ethical properties essential to the complete education of young students. Their aesthetic, scientific, and philosophical concepts concerning music influenced the history of Western music. The words used for musical concepts, systems of tuning, the science of sound, and the belief that music has the ability to evoke emotion all come from Greek roots. They believed that music meant “the art of the Muses” who were the goddesses of all arts. They considered poetry and music nearly the synonymous. Music was thought to have been invented by the gods for their own pleasure. One story is of Orpheus, the half mortal son of the god Apollo who plays the lyre so divinely and the story of his retrieval of his wife Euridice has been put to music. Pythagoras studied acoustics, the tuning of musical instruments, and measured intervals.
Visual, literary, and performing arts- Much of their art has been copied and excavated and uncovered from Pompeii and Herculaneum. Not many examples of music were left behind. There were athletic games, and poetry recitals. Music was combined with other arts: drama, poetry, and dancing. Classical music comes from the God Apollo whereas romantic music came from Dionysus who played the aulos.
Major Composers- Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides all had dramas that were written to be sung and danced.
Musical forms- They improvised on the spot, creating and performing their works. Many people don’t know how the music actually sounded. The drinking song is one example: “Epitaph of Seikilos.” It was generally monophonic