Curiosities of Music: A Collection of Facts not generally known, regarding the Music of Ancient and Savage Nations — John Shaqi
Curiosities of Music: A Collection of Facts not generally known, regarding the Music of Ancient and Savage NationsElson, Louis Charles
History
Curiosities of Music: A Collection of Facts not generally known, regarding the Music of Ancient and Savage Nations
Elson, Louis Charles
Music -- History and criticism
It is recorded therefore, that Terpander with his harp had quelled all
dissension in Sparta, but by this anecdote we may see that in what the
ancient Greeks called music, the words really played the most important
part. To show this yet more clearly, we will here give an instance from
later Athenian history where the same power was exerted for a similar
purpose. A war between Athens and Megara, for the possession of the
island of Salamis, had resulted in such continued disaster to Athens,
that the Athenians had left the island to its fate, and it was forbidden
upon penalty of death to broach the subject to the public again. Solon
however, attired himself as a messenger from the island to the
Athenians, and in this character sang a song which roused such a martial
spirit, that on the instant a large body of volunteers was formed, who,
under Solon, effected its reconquest.
Terpander and Tyrtæus composed most of their songs in march rhythm, and
after this the Spartans sang hymns, while marching into battle to the
sound of many kitharas, which were afterwards displaced by the more
penetrating flute.
Terpander also composed love songs, and banquet songs as well as nomes
or hymns, and his choruses were sung at all Spartan festivals and
sacrifices, they were taught to Spartan youths and maidens, and all
seemed to vie in doing him honor. He had really helped the music of
Greece to a higher plane, for it is said that he enlarged the lyre or
phorminx from four strings, to seven, and also made improvements in the
scale.
Contemporary with this poet-musician was Olympus, who must not however
be confounded with an Olympus who lived six hundred years previously,
that is, about 1250 B. C. Plato says that the music of Olympus was
especially adapted to animate the hearers. Plutarch says that it
surpassed in simplicity and effect, all other music. He is said to have
composed the air which caused Alexander to seize his arms, when it was
sung to him; according to Aristotle his music filled all hearers with
enthusiasm. Much relating to Olympus must however be relegated to the
land of myths. It has even been doubted whether he ever really existed,
though that is carrying scepticism too far.
Among the other characters which existed on the borderland of Greek
musical history, may be mentioned Polynestos, and Alcman who brought to
Sparta in its full glow, the love song, (Lydian measure). Alcman seems
to have been easily aroused to sing of female beauty, and composed some
choruses especially for the
“Honey-voiced, lovely singing maidens,”
which were sung by female voices only.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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