H.A.V.P.A. 10th Grade

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Classical Greece
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In order to fully appreciate the origins
(beginnings) and purposes of music from any era,
it is necessary to place them in social and
political context so that the time, place and
ideas they represent can be understood.
Time is about history.
Place is about geography.
Ideas are the products of artists and thinkers
who create art or invent solutions according to
their culture and cultural ideas.
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Classical Greece

• Time? 800 B.C. 400 A.D.

• Place? Ancient Greece

LETS GET THIS IN PERSPECTIVE!!!
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YOU ARE HERE
Greece is WAY OVER HERE
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(No Transcript)
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Ideas?

• The Greeks believed that the universal idea of
  beauty could be attained a great commitment to
  LOGIC, ORDER, REASON, AND MODERATION.

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SO..
Who had the greatest influence on the Greek
understanding of music?
Pythagoras (circa 569 B.C. 475 B.C.)
Circa means around.
MUSIC THEORY BASED ON MATHEMATICAL LOGIC.
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Who was Pythagoras?

• Philosopher (The word, "philosopher,"
  literally means "lover of wisdom.)
• He was one of the great thinkers of ancient
  Greece.

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Who was Pythagoras?

• Mathematician (a person skilled in
  mathematics) Known as the Father of Numbers.

• He believed that mathematical laws governed all
  of lifes activities (including music).

• He was a great believer that all things in the
  world could be explained by numerical computation
  based on moderation, order, reason and logic.

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Who was Pythagoras?

• He was the man who came up with the Pythagorean
  Theory (for the RIGHT TRIANGLE)

a2 b2 c2
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How did Pythagoras get music out of numbers?
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• Some accounts tell of Pythagoras passing a
  blacksmith shop and hearing the different tones
  created when hammers of differing weights struck
  anvils of various sizes.

• Upon returning home, he experimented by striking
  hanging weights of a variety of sizes until he
  found the combination of intervals that he
  determined were pleasing to the ear.

• Because of his curiosity regarding the differing
  notes in music, he focused on the problem until
  he discovered the diatonic scale (the scale that
  we get music and harmony from).

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The effects of Pythagoras discovery of music

• Pythagoras eventually established an academy, the
  Order of the Pythagoreans, and one of their
  disciplines was music.

• Greeks believed that music had the ability to
  heal those who were sick when no other treatments
  worked.

• Greeks also believed that music had the ability
  to defeat armies.

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DIFFICULTIES OF STUDYING ANCIENT GREEK MUSIC
Musicians often improvised, leaving no printed
music for scholars to study.
Composed pieces were passed down ORALLY.
Many written compositions were DESTROYED by the
Christian church to get rid of PAGAN influences
(religion that is not Christ centered.)
Remember, the Greeks worshiped many gods.
Music authorities disagree on how to interpret
what Greek music they have found.
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Modern Music
Piece of Greek music.
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How was music used in Greek life?
Music was a part of the general education system.
Aristotle and Plato both wrote about the
importance of music that was essential to the
complete education of young scholars
Musicians entertained at social gatherings,
accompanied outdoor athletic games (OLYMPICS),
accompanied the recitation of poetry, part of
religious rites, and formed the chorus in
dramatic presentations.
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INSTRUMENTS
LYRE
AULOS
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Sorry to end on a low note (BADUMP CRASH!)
Many believe that Pythagoras committed suicide
because he was depressed after a rich man, who
had been denied entrance into the order, killed
many of his students.