The Ancient instruments and their myths:

Wind instruments, percussions, idiophones

Vesa Matteo Piludu, 2010

Rhombus

• From the cd: Synaulia.

• Musica dell’antica Roma. Volume 1: Strumenti a fiato

• Track 24

Rhombus

• a simple wooden rhombus, linked to a string

• imitate the sound of: storm, wind, thunder

• sacred to: Zeus – Iuppiter

Cassis or Triton and Iynx

• From the cd: Synaulia.

• Musica dell’antica Roma. Volume 1: Strumenti a fiato

• Track 16

SHELL TRUMPETS

Kochlos, Shell type instrument sounds like a trumpet Conch Shell, usually the shell called triton or strombus gigas or cassis.

CONCH-SHELL

It is a natural trumpet.

called triton or strombus gigas or cassis

  Sacred to Aphrodite

Love – Waters – Sea (feminine world)

Iynx

is basically a small wheel, suspended at the middle of a loop of string. It’s wound up and then, as the string winds and unwinds, the wheel spins to make a humming sound.

Iynx

• the Iynx produces a rushing, windy, humming sound

• The end result sounds rather like heavy breathing, which, in context, again has obvious passionate connotations.

Love spells with Iynx

• poem by Theocritus. written in the 3rd Century B.C.

• the goddesses Selene, Artemis and Hekate are called upon (the Moon Goddess in her celestial, terrestrial and chthonic aspects)

Love spells with Iynx

• spoken refrain: "Draw into my house my lover, magic wheel".

• The Iynx is used nine times, and then the operator enters into a conversation with Selene, telling of the progress of the love-affair.

Iynx and possession

• Most importantly, though, the Iynx appears to have been used to invoke (and later release) the deities, drawing them down to possess a medium.

• The rushing, windy sound of the Iynx may be associated with the approach of the divine pneuma (wind, breath, spirit - and so, inspiration)

Iynx

• sacred to: Aphrodite

• Nymph Iynx specialized in love-potions

• Zeus fall in love with Io

• Io transformed into a bird by Hera

• Bird transformed into a wheel and in an instrument by Aphrodite

The wryneck is a bird which, when in danger, can extend its neck considerably

Painter: The Darius PainterDate: ca 340 - 330 BCPeriod: Late Classical

Ware: Apulian Red FigureShape: LoutrophorosPainter: Attributed to Painter of Louvre MNB 1148Date: ca 350 - 340 BCPeriod: Late Classical

Siringa - SYRINX

• From the cd: Synaulia.

• Musica dell’antica Roma. Volume 1: Strumenti a fiato

• Track 15: Aetherius

Sculpture of Pan teaching the shepherd Daphnism to blow his pipe; ca. 100 B.C. Found in Pompeii

SYRINX

A wind instrument of humble social status as it was primarily used by shepherds and was connected with the god Pan

The syrinx was made of reed and was also known as Pan’s syrinx. The myth told that it was originally a nymph loved by Pan

• From the cd: Synaulia.

• Musica dell’antica Roma. Volume 1: Strumenti a fiato

• Track 8

ANIMAL HORNS

Animal horns

• Hunting and Military culture

• connection with Diana or Artemis (Goddess of hunting)

• From the cd: Synaulia.

• Musica dell’antica Roma. Volume 1: Strumenti a fiato

• Track 7: Imperium

• Track 9: Arena

Tuba

• It was a straight instrument, usually of bronze, about four feet long

• played with a detachable bone mouthpiece

• military signal trumpet

ROMAN CORNU

CORNU

• , a wind instrument of brass (Varr. L. L. v.117, ed. Müller).

• a larger and more powerful instrument,

• being curved nearly in the shape of a C

• the entire series of notes was produced without keys or holes, by the modification of the breath and the lips at the mouthpiece.

Dyonisian side of Greek music

• Inebriation, trance, dances, symposia, theatre, passion (pathos), military life, pleasure, divine mania (possession)

• popular, ritual, professional

• Aulòs, percussion, idiophones

• strings: barbitos

• songs, choral songs

Double Aulos

• The Double Aulos is an ancient reed instrument using double (oboe-type) reeds within a conical bore.

• As a result, it is quite loud and strident with excellent carrying power.

Aulos

• The aulos was used in dionisia rituals whith other instruments

• Alone (solo)

• With lyre (kythara)

• Aulodía: singing to aulòs accompaniment. In competitions the aulodós (pipe singer) was more important than the singer!

Various tipes

• Parthènioi (virginal – soprano)

• Paidikoì (infantine – mezzosoprano)

• Kitharistèoi (accompaining the kithara – alto)

• Tèleioi (the perfect – tenor)

• Hypertèleioi (superperfect – basso)

Aulos

• Aulos ( also Bombyx, fibiae)• It was one of the most significant ancient

Greek wind instruments used in almost all the private and public ceremonies, in competitions, in processions and in tragedies. It was connected with the worship of the ancient God Dionysos.

• The flute was used by Spartans as a military music instrument.

Aulos

• the Pythian aulos participates more in masculinity because it is grave, and the choric aulos in femininity because of its ease at a high pitch. (according to Aristides Quintilianus )

• According to Aristotle (Politics) pipes should not be used in education because pipe music is orgiastic and it hinders the use of one's logos

Flute vs Lyre: Apollo vs Marsyas

• Marsyas was an accomplished flute-player, for some time before he had found the flute which Athena had thrown away because it made her ugly.

• Some have said that Hyagnis invented the flute, but others affirm that the first long flute was made by Athena out of deer bones, or by piercing boxwood with holes wide apart, and that, proud of her invention, she came to the banquet of the gods to play.

• However, Aphrodite and Hera seeing Athena’s cheeks puffed out, mocked the latter in her playing and called her ugly.

• This is why Athena came to a spring in Mount Ida in order to view herself in the water; and having looked at herself in the water of the spring, she understood why she was mocked, and threw away the flute, vowing that whoever picked it up would be severely punished:

• "The sound was pleasing; but in the water that reflected my face I saw my virgin cheeks puffed up. I value not the art so high; farewell my flute!" [Athena. Ovid, Fasti 6.697]

• He who found the flute was the shepherd Marsyas, who having learned by art and practice to produce ever sweeter sounds, happened to meet Apollo and his lyre. He then challenged the god to a musical contest, which took place, some say, in the mentioned city of Nysa, being the Muses the judges.

• They also agreed that the victor should do what he wished with the defeated.

• Concerning the musical contest between Apollo and Marsyas some have said that the latter was departing as victor when Apollo turned his lyre upside down, and played the same tune, a prowess that Marsyas could not do with the flute.

• But others tell that Marsyas was defeated when Apollo added his voice to the sound of the lyre.

• Marsyas they say, protested arguing that the skill with the instrument was to be compared and not the voice.

• However, Apollo replied that when Marsyas blew into the pipes he was doing almost the same thing as himself.

• And the argument presented by Apollo was judged by the Nysaeans or by the Muses to be the most just, and that is why, after comparing their skills again, Marsyas was defeated, and subsequently flayed alive by the god.

• Some have said that it was on this occasion that King Mydas got the ears of an ass for having judged against Apollo:

• "You will have ears to match the mind you have in judging"

• [Apollo to Midas. Hyginus, Fabulae 191]

Marsias

• Marsias was also an innovator, introducing the Phrigian mode, considered quite frenzy and Dionysian

• Myth:

• national music (Apollo) vs. foreign music (Marsias)

• or more clearly Dionisian vs. Apollonian

Apollo

• According to some variations, Apollo repentant for what he did, destroyed his kythara

Lydian pipes

• Tubes of equal lenght

• identical fingerhole

• several sizes: soprano, alto, tenor, basso

• 3-4 fingerholes

• overblow: jump of a fifth

Auloi

• Used also in the accompainiment

• in symposia

• in the dramas

• in the Pythian games

FISTULAE IMPARES

THE PHRYGIAN TIBIA

• THE PHRYGIAN TIBIA 1• This uses a "single" reed (forerunner of the type

used on the clarinet) for sound generation. At the pitch here, the sound is warm and "buzzy" - even exotic to some ears!

• The animal horn at the lower end amplifies the sound and as such, the instrument is very close to the later Hornpipe - except that there is no open-ended mouthpiece through which to blow the reed.

Phrygian aulos

• From Diane Touliatos-Miliotis : The Phrygian aulos [is] feminine because it is mournful

• Two tubes of different lenght, longer with the bell

• different position of the fingerholes

Playing styles

• One pipe give a melodic question, the other the melodic answer

• one pipe play a bordone (intonation note)

• Two pipes playing in interlocking

• a Kind of poliphony

• improvisation or fixed themes

ROMAN BAGPIPE (Utriculus) PHUSALIS (bladderpipe)

left to right: ETRUSCAN AULOS, FISTULA OBLIQUA, BONE PIPES and SYRINX

Tympanon

• It was an instrument primarily played by women and was mainly used in religious worship such as the Bacchanalia.

Tibiae (double reedpipes) – Tympanum (tambourine-like drum) and Cymbalum (small bronze cymbals giving a ringing sound)

Krotalon-Krotala

• Percussion instruments which were the wooden equivalent of the modern castanets.

• They were used by women/men to keep the rhythm for the dancers

Dancer with krotala, flute case, and walking stick, Attic red figure kylix, ca. 480 B.C

CYMBALS

Bronze

Roman Period (2nd-4th centuries CE)

Kymbalon

• It was made of metal and was the metallic version of krotalon.

• It was primarily connected with Bacchus worship.