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
They were one day excluded from the Temple of Jupiter, where they had
been allowed, by ancient custom, to take their meals; upon which the
entire Guild left Rome, and went to the village of Tibur near by. This
caused great embarrassment, no religious services could be held, and
scarce any state ceremony properly conducted. The senate thereupon sent
an embassy to induce them to return; in vain, the angry musicians were
inflexible. The wily embassadors then called the inhabitants of Tibur to
their aid, and these pretended to give a great feast, to welcome the
flute-players. At this feast, the musicians were all made very drunk,
and while asleep from the effects of their liquor, they were bundled
into chariots and driven back to Rome, where all their old privileges
were restored, and newer, and greater ones added.
They received the right to give public representations, and spectacles,
in Rome; but at these they were always masked, the reason given, being
their shame at the manner of their inglorious return to the city.
Flutes were used at funerals, and it appears that at one time the luxury
and pomp of Roman obsequies grew so excessive that a law was passed
limiting the number of flute-players on such occasions to ten.
Only at one time did the flute disappear from any public worship, and
that was when the worship of Bacchus was introduced into Rome. To this
rite the kithara was used; but this worship which was somewhat refined,
though jovial, among the Greeks, became among the Romans so debauched
and uxorious, that it was soon prohibited by law.
The flute was used in combination with other instruments at times.
Apuleius speaks of a concert of flutes, kitharas and chorus, and
mentioned its deliciously sweet effect. It was also used as a pitch
pipe, to give orators a guide in modulating their voices when addressing
an assembly; thus Caius Gracchus always on such occasions, had a slave
behind him, whose duty it was to aid him to commence his orations in a
proper pitch, and when his voice sank too low, or became too shrill, to
call him to better intonation by the sounds of the flute.
Although the flute was the favorite Roman instrument, it was by no means
the only one. Trumpets were used to a great extent. A one-toned trumpet
of very loud voice, was used for battle signals. These were of very
large size, usually of brass, and their sound is described as
“terrible.” There was also a smaller, shepherd’s trumpet of mellower
tone.
Another much used instrument, of peculiar character, was the
_sumphonium_ which did not differ materially from the modern
bag-pipe.[63]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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