The origin of European music culture: ancient Greek and ancient Roman music
The music culture of ancient Greece and ancient Rome is a precious cultural heritage of mankind. It was produced in the long historical stage from the 32nd century AD to the 5th century BC. It reflects the long historical development from the gradual disintegration of clan society to the collapse of slave society. It has been influenced by ancient Eastern culture and has great influence on society. Later, the development of music culture in various European countries had far-reaching significance and was the origin of modern European music culture.
Music played a prominent role in the social life of ancient Greece. When the Greek slave economy and politics reached a high level of development, correspondingly, the culture tended to reach its peak. Literature and art have made remarkable achievements in realist expression and typicality. The ideological content, cultural relic images and subject matter characteristics of ancient Greek mythological epics have a direct impact on the formation of Western European opera.
In the early Homeric era, there was the epic "Iliad" based on historical facts written by the legendary blind poet Homer, and the widely circulated music and poetry of "The Odyssey" were combined and created orally by the people. large works. Afterwards, comedy also developed on the basis of poetry, singing, dancing and sacrificial performances, and enjoyed unprecedented prosperity. The development of dramatic art and the greatest first is Greek tragedy. The original word of the ancient Greek tragedy is "Goat Song", which can be performed in a semicircular amphitheater with a capacity of 10,000 people.
Ancient Greek tragedy was mainly a musical drama, and most of the initial performances were expressed in monologues and songs. Especially in Athens, tragedies were staged in formal ceremonies and public festivals attended by the whole city, which shows how important the art of music combined with poetry, dance and pantomime was in Greece. In the development process of tragedy, a carnival game---KOMOS was popular, and in the carnival parade---KOMOIDA---comedy appeared. Comedy was the song during the carnival parade; later it gradually formed a large-scale game. In the development of tragedy and comedy, three major tragedians emerged---Aeschiris, Sophocles and Euripides, as well as the comedian Aristophanes.
After the Homeric era, lyric poems reflecting life in different regions appeared. Lyrics are often sung to the accompaniment of an instrument called an oros and to a regionally distinctive tune. There are also songs with different themes.
When Greek culture spread to the East and West, it combined with local culture to form Hellenistic culture. With the development of philosophy, natural science, architecture, painting and other arts, music has also gained new development. In terms of musical temperament, the mathematician Pythagoras was the first to record the vibration rate of sound, thus producing a series of notes. Various modes were produced from the full range of the notes, and were named after Greek tribes.
The musical culture of ancient Greece and Rome is a precious cultural heritage of mankind. It occupies an important position in the history of world culture and is the origin of European music culture. Understand this history. It is helpful to understand the historical development process of European thought and culture.