Plutarch's essays and miscellanies, Vol. 1 (of 5) : $b Comprising all his works collected under the title of "Morals"Plutarch
Philosophy
Plutarch's essays and miscellanies, Vol. 1 (of 5) : $b Comprising all his works collected under the title of "Morals"
Plutarch
Classical literature; Essays; Ethics; Philosophy
36. We are next to consider whether the masters of music are
sufficiently capable of being judges of it. Now I aver the negative.
For it is impossible to be a perfect musician and a good judge of music
by the knowledge of those things that seem to be but parts of the whole
body, as by excellency of hand upon the instrument, or singing readily
at first sight, or exquisiteness of the ear, so far as this extends to
the understanding of harmony and time. Neither does the knowledge of
time and harmony, pulsation or elocution, or whatever else falls under
the same consideration, perfect their judgment. Now for the reasons why
a musician cannot gain a perfect judgment from any of these, we must
endeavor to make them clear. First then it must be granted that, of
things about which judgment is to be made, some are perfect and others
imperfect. Those things which are perfect are the compositions in
general, whether sung or played, and the expression of those, whether
upon the instruments or by the voice, with the rest of the same nature.
The imperfect are the things to these appertaining, and for whose sake
they are made use of. Such are the parts of expression. A second reason
may be found in poetry, with which the case is the same. For a man that
hears a consort of voices or instruments can judge whether they sing or
play in tune, and whether the language be plain or not. But every one
of these are only parts of instrumental and vocal expression; not the
end itself, but for the sake of the end. For by these and things of the
same nature shall the elegancy of elocution be judged, whether it be
proper to the poem which the performer undertakes to sing. The same is
to be said of the several passions expressed in the poetry.
37. The ancients now made principal account of the moral impression,
and therefore preferred that fashion of the antique music which was
grave and least affected. Therefore the Argives are said to have
punished deviation from the ancient music, and to have imposed a fine
upon such as first adventured to play with more than seven strings,
and to introduce the Mixolydian mood.[66] Pythagoras, that grave
philosopher, rejected the judging of music by the senses, affirming
that the virtue of music could be appreciated only by the intellect.
And therefore he did not judge of music by the ear, but by the
harmonical proportion, and thought it sufficient to fix the knowledge
of music within the compass of the diapason.
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