Music in ancient Rome

We lay out of less information on the music during Roman antiquity than on the music during Greek antiquity. Whereas one deciphered approximately 40 examples of Greek musical notations, very little information on the Roman music survived.

There are several reasons with that, among which hostility of the first fathers of the Christianity to the theatrical music, the festivals and the festivals of paganism, as many elements removed once Christianity become official religion of the Empire.

The Romans are not famous to have been particularly creative on the musical level. Ccontrairement with the Greeks, they did not attach any éthos spiritual to the music. In fact, if the Romans admired the Greek music as much besides than any other aspect of the Greek culture in general, it is about certain that their music was mainly monophonic (i.e. constituted of isolated melodies and without harmony) and that the melodies were based on an elaborate system of scales (called " modes"). The rate/rhythm of the vocal music probably followed the measurement of the poems (lyric in particular).

There were also not-Greek influences on the Roman culture - Etruscans, for example, and, with the imperial expansion, of the influences of center-is African Europe and parts of the empire. So there was, without any doubt, as many elements of the Roman music originating in Italy than of non-European origin (the true nature of these elements is not clear)

Musical notation

The Romans probably borrowed the Greek method of " enchiriadic Notation " to record their music, if however they used any notation. Four letters (in French notation " a" , " g" , " f" and " c") indicated a series of four tons successive. Signs rhytmic, writings above the letters, indicated the duration of each note.

In the artistic representations of this period, no musician is represented reading a partition, and very few written examples were discovered.

Even the very known writings of the Roman philosopher Boethius hold more of the treaty on the music of ancient Greece than of a description of the Roman modern music strictly speaking. The Romans probably granted their instruments on Greek modes. The military marches with the tuba of the modern era can appear simplistic, since all the instruments of this nature have access only to the same series of notes.

Musical instruments

A large variety of instruments are known to be played by the Romans, including instruments close to those of a modern orchestra.

Wind instruments

the tuba - Not the modern tuba, but a trumpet of bronze long and right with a detachable and conical mouth, like that of a modern French horn. Those which one found are approximately 1,3 meters long; they had a cylindrical gauge which went from the mouth to the house, as the right modern trumpets (it goes without saying that there were no pistons - each instrument was able to produce only one and single series of notes).

the horned - an instrument bronzes some rather semicircular (forged in G capital letter) with or without handle around the diameter. It had a conical gauge (like a modern French horn) and a conical mouth. Also used in the army and borrowed from the Etruscans.

the aulos (the Latinized Greek word was tibae) - usually double, formed of two double and cylindrical Anches (like a modern Hautbois), not-connected but generally played enrubanés to maintain the two nozzles fixed between the lips of the player. Modern reconstitutions indicate that they produced a serious sound, similar to that of a clarinet. There are some confusions about its true nature; alternate descriptions indicate that each pipe had only one sheer (like a clarinet of today) instead of a double-sheer.

the ascaules - a Bagpipe.

Various versions of flutes and panpipes.

String instruments

the quadrant , borrowed from the Greeks, was primarily a precursor of the toothing-stone, with a framework out of wooden or carapace of tortoise, and several cords stretched. The quadrant was held or maintained on an arm/a hand and pinch with the other hand. Gradually, the Romans gave up this instrument in favor of will khitara, a broader instrument, more sophisticated, held slightly more in height and which one played with a Plectre. The cords could be granted by adjusting wood podis along the instrument.

the lutes , the true precursor of the Guitare (will khitara), is regarded as a medieval instrument but was already used in ancient Rome. Lutes Roman had three cords and was not as popular as the quadrant or will khitara it, but it was simpler to practice.

the will kithara is the first musical instruments of ancient Rome; it was used as well in popular forms as at more serious musical ends. Larger and more door which the quadrant, it will khitara was an instrument with the powerful sound, though soft and piercing, and presented the possibility of being granted very precisely. It was said familiarly that certain players could make it cry. Our word " guitare" comes from will khitara, and although the guitar evolved/moved more directly of lutes, the same mystery surrounds the idolâtres of the guitar of today that the virtuosos of will khitara of yesterday, the citharista, as well as the popular singers of Roman antiquity.

It was said that the gods of the music (Muses and Apollon) offered their gifts to the players of will khitara for envoûter their audiences.

Organ

the organ - there exist mosaics representing of the organ and a fragment of instrument is preserved at the National museum of Archeology of Naples. The size of the pipes made it possible to produce the majority of tons copied from the Greeks. According to the fragments, the instrument seems to be halfway between the bagpipe and the organ of today. Nothing makes it possible to say if the air came from the lungs or any mechanism placed under the instrument. The hydraulis is of larger interest, it is acted in fact of an organ which functioned by water pressure. The instrument returns historically to the Greeks and a model out of terra cotta (preserved very well) was discovered with Carthage in 1885. Primarily, the air circulating in the pipes, producing the sound strictly speaking, comes from a mechanism to wind connected by another pipe to a dome, air is thus pumped in compressed water, and water goes up in the pipes, thus compressing the air and thus causing a regular provisioning of the instrument.

Percussions

variations of a small piece of wood or metal (called scabellum) - a " clappeur" - was used to beat measurement. Many bells, bells and tambourines were used at the same ends.

the Drum S as well as other percussion instruments like the drinking cups and the castanets, the Egyptian sistrum, as various copper instruments were used for many things in ancient Rome, including the rhythmics, the religious celebrations and rites like the Orgies, the army, hunting, and to even control the bees in the hives. Certain musics going back to this time are characterized by the regular rate/rhythm, coming without any doubt from the use of the drums and the effects of percussions as simple as of the beats of hands.

the will sistra was a bell made up of rings connected to a metal framework, often used with fine nuns.

Music in the company

In spite of the obvious lack of musical originality among Romans, the music was largely appreciated and used for many activities. Scott describes the obvious military use of the tuba for the description, just like its use at the time of funeral, gatherings private, public spectacles (like the combat of gladiators). The music was also used at the time of the religious ceremonies.

The Romans practitioner the music like sign external of good education, the contests of music were rather common and attracted a great number of candidates, including Néron itself (he was musician amateur and went as far as Greece to be registered with a competition).

There are also many references (quoted by Scott) to the omnipresence of the music in ancient Rome, even with very large scales - hundreds of players of trumpet or flute playing together at the time of plays or festivals -, and even of the examples of will khitaras as large as carriages.

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