There is, in the National Archives of the French Republic, a document of exceptional interest for the history of the violin trade: the inventory of musical instruments seized by the revolutionaries in Paris in 1792. 1792 was the apex of the French Revolution, the year of its desperate fight to survive on a path to […]
The Philosophical Outlook on Ancient Greek Music: Plato
Spring
Plato is one of the most important sources for understanding one of the ways the Ancient Greeks viewed music. As with any era in history, people from different backgrounds have diverse opinions on important parts of a society, such as music. Plato’s ideas about music, however, have proven to be particularly lasting and influential and […]
Music Theory in Ancient Greece
Winter
In addition to creating carefully defined and distinct forms and styles of music, the Ancient Greeks developed a tremendously intricate and complex music theory system. The technical aspects of Ancient Greek music theory have been discussed in great detail in works both from antiquity and modern times, but their general effect on all but the […]
Music in Ancient Greece: The Later Years
Summer
Note: Part 1 of this article was published in Spring 2005. In contrast to the large, dramatic productions of dithyrambs, the lyric poets Sappho and Alcaeus emerge in the sixth century BCE . Both came from the island of Lesbos and composed their poetry-music in a personal, monodic (non-harmonic) form. Their works were very popular […]
Enlivening History Stradivari's Genius by Toby Faber
Summer
Toby Faber’s Stradivari’s Genius makes a good read. The book seems destined to entice broader audiences into this normally arcane subject much the way the films The Red Violin and Amadeus do. But where those films make no attempt at or pretense to historical factuality, Stradivari’s Genius is based on considerable research on the part […]
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- Next Page »