Chapter 1 - Ancient and Medieval Worlds Flashcards
What had the strongest direct influence on the development of western music?
Ancient Greek writings and culture
What are four types of evidence that we can use to help reconstruct what past music was like?
- Physical evidence
- Visuals
- Writings
- Recordings
In Mesopotamian cultures, how was music used?
Music has been discovered that was to be used for weddings, funerals, for the military, for work, to accompany stories, and basically all other aspects of everyday life
Who is the first composer that we know by name and what sort of music did she write?
Enheduanna, (2300BC) a priestess in the city of Ur, who wrote hymns to praise the moon gods. The texts but not the music survive.
Around what time did musicians begin to write down what they knew instead of just using word of mouth?
This happened around 1800 BC, and they wrote about instruments, tuning procedures, genres, different kinds of songs, etc.
What is the difference between a harp and a Lyre?
The strings on a lyre run parallel to the soundboard, whereas on a harp they are perpendicular to the soundboard and the neck is connected directly to the sound box
The Babylonian seven note diatonic scale system are likely to have influenced which key culture?
The ancient Greeks were likely influenced by Babylonian musical practices and theory
Describe the Aulos
A type of pipe that was usually played in pairs, with fingerholes, and a mouthpiece with a reed.
Associated with Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility
Describe the Greek Lyre
A type of lyre that was held against the hip, strummed with a pick in the right hand while the left touched the strings. The sound box was often a tortoise shell with leather stretched over it. Was an essential part of Greek education.
The Lyre is associated with Apollo, prophecy, music, and the arts
Describe the Kithara
This was a large lyre used in ancient Greece mainly for ceremonial purposes, processions, and the theatre.
In ancient Greece, what were the two principal kinds of writings on the subject of music?
- Philosophical: The effects, proper use of, and the nature of music
- Describing the materials of music or theory
The Greeks called music as a performing art _______
They called it melos
“Perfect” melos consisted of what?
Melody, text, and stylized dance
Who was the founder of Greek music theory
Pythagoras (d. 500 B.C.)
Describe the concept of Harmonia
This is the unification of parts to make an orderly whole. The Greeks believed that the ratios, rhythms, scales, etc of music reflected the harmonious order of the universe
