A flute-concert is painted on one of the tombs in the pyramids of
Gizeh and dates, according to Lepsius, from an age earlier than B.C.
2000. Eight musicians are performing on flutes. Three of them, one
behind the other, are kneeling and holding their flutes in exactly the
same manner. Facing these are three others, in a precisely similar
position. A seventh is sitting on the ground to the left of the six,
with his back turned towards them, but also in the act of blowing his
flute, like the others. An eighth is standing at the right side of the
group with his face turned towards them, holding his flute before him
with both hands, as if he were going to put it to his mouth, or had
just left off playing. He is clothed, while the others have only a
narrow girdle round their loins. Perhaps he is the director of this
singular band, or the _solo_ performer who is waiting for the
termination of the _tutti_ before renewing his part of the
performance. The division of the players into two sets, facing each
other, suggests the possibility that the instruments were classed
somewhat like the first and second violins, or the _flauto primo_ and
_flauto secondo_ of our orchestras. The occasional employment of the
interval of the third, or the fifth, as accompaniment to the melody,
is not unusual even with nations less advanced in music than were the
ancient Egyptians.
The Double-Pipe, called _mam_, appears to have been a very popular
instrument, if we judge from the frequency of its occurrence in the
representations of musical performances. Furthermore, the Egyptians
had, as far as is known to us, two kinds of trumpets; three kinds of
tambourines, or little hand drums; three kinds of drums, chiefly
barrel-shaped; and various kinds of gongs, bells, cymbals, and
castanets. The trumpet appears to have been usually of brass. A
peculiar wind-instrument, somewhat the shape of a champagne bottle and
perhaps made of pottery or wood, also occurs in the representations
transmitted to us.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account