chapter 1 music history

medium aevum

middle age

orchestra

the round, level performance space of a greek theatre

chorus

**

who were the Muses

goddesses of literature, daughters of zeus

terpsichore

muse, known for dance

euterpe

muse, known for the double-pipes and music

erato

muse, known for love and lyric poetry

kithara

greek instrument also known as the lyre, stringed instrument

what instruments name is distantly related to the kithara?

the guitar

aulos

greek instrument, double-pipes

syrinx

greek instrument, also called panpipes, set of pipes with gradual increasing length

hydraulis

greek instrument, water organ, required three people to play

monophony

a single melody line he

heterophony

the same melody, but many have slight differences in ornamentation

iconography

illustrations of an object

what did iconography show us in greek musical history?

what multiple instruments were used in accompanying songs

skolion

a type of song played at drunken parties and banquets

what instrument was played in skolions?

the lyre was played; guests would take turns playing and singing.

who was pythagoras and what was he known for in music?

he was known for calculating mathematical ratios of intervals using a monochord

what is a monochord?

a single-stringed instrument

what is the music of the spheres and who is it accredited to?

it’s the idea that the planets, universe and nature have a natural harmony that is no audible to humans. this idea is accredited to Pythagoras

what was Aristoxenus known for in greek music?

he was known for systematizing greek music by splitting the octave into 12 notes

did Pythagoras and Aristoxenus agree about intervals?

Pythagoras believed that intervals should be played by their mathematica ratio, but Aristoxenus believed that they should be judged by ear.

what did plato believe about green music?

he believed that music had the power to shape the soul, and that it was not to be listened to for pleasure

what did Aristotle believe about greek music?

He, a student of plato, also believed that music could have an affect on human character but that listening to it for pleasure was ok

what is catharsis? who believed it could be a response to music?

a healthy release of emotion in response to something very overwhelming; Aristotle

what is mimesis? who believed in it?

the idea that music could imitate human character and emotion, Aristotle believed music had this potential

what was the doctrine of ethos?

the belief that music can affect both human behavior and character

what is ethos? what produced/ affected it?

ethos is one’s character or fundamental values, it could be influences by instruments and different greek modes

who was apollo and what was his instrument?

Apollo was the god of the sun, his insrument was the lyre

who was dionysus and what was his instrument?

Dionysus was the god of fertility and wine, his instrument was the aulos

apollonian values

discipline and restraint

dionysian values

passion and pleasure

what is a tetrachord?

series of four consecutive notes spanning a fourth, starting at the top

what is a genus?

pl: general, these are the types of tetrachords based on how the intervals are organized

what are the types of genera?

diatonic, chromatic, enharmonic

what is a tonos?

pl: tonoi, a scale, formed by stringing two tetrachords together with a whole step separating them, spans an octave

what is the greater perfect system?

created by stringing four tetra chords together with a whole step separating each of them, and a whole step at the bottom. this spans two whole octaves.

what is a harmonia?

pl: harmoniai, these are greek modes that are different combinations of tonoi

what is the seikilos song?

the oldest surviving complete musical composition, engraved on marble around c.200 BCE, dedicated to Euterpe

who was maritanus capella?

contributed the seven liberal arts in the roman education system, 5th c. AD

what was the trivium

the three language arts

the quadrivium

the four mathematical arts, included music

who was Boethius

c. 480-524, codified ancient of music

de institutione music

Boethius’ organization of music

musica mundana

“music of the spheres,” harmonial relationship between the sun, moon and stars, not audible to humans

musica humana

“human music,” music that gives harmony to human existence, comes from proportional relationships, not audible to humans

musica instrumentalis

all sounding music from people and instruments, presented a concrete image of the universe and a higher Reality [‘