Music in Ancient Greece and Rome (Paperback)

~ John G Landels (Author) "Music played a very important part in almost every aspect of life for the ancient Greeks..." (more)
Key Phrases: one diesis, unequal pipes, conjunct tetrachord, Asia Minor, Low Mid Dis Top, Greater Complete System (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The clarity of Landels's writing, even on complex matters, is a real virtue." -- Andrew Barker, The Classical Review

.a well-illustrated and comprehensive introduction to ancient music from Homeric times to the emperor Hadrian.we recommend it highly as a book that is both scholarly and approachable, and of value to everyone with an interest in the subject, scholars, students, and the general reader.
–Classical Association News

.engagingly written..
–Notes

A well-illustrated and comprehensive introduction to ancient music from Homeric times to the emperor Hadrian ... we recommend it highly as a book that is both scholarly and approachable, and of value to everyone with an interest in the subject, scholars, students and the general reader. - Classical Association News

John Landels has produced a lively and illuminating survey of what we know ... his book can be recommended to any musical person wishing to imagine for himself the sound, the atmosphere and the meaning of ancient song and dance. - Roger Scruton, The Times

John Landels has produced a lively and illuminating survey of what we know.His book can be recommended to any musical person wishing to imagine for himself the sound, the atmosphere, and the meaning of ancient song and dance.
–Roger Scruton, The Times

The clarity of Landels's writing, even on complex matters, is a real virtue.
–Andrew Barker, The Classical Review

This is a good introduction to what we know (and how we know) of ancient Greek and Roman music. Impressive is Landels' ability to explain clearly and provide a coherent context for the evidence...each chapter is enhanced by illustrative ancient anecdotes, making the book a pleasure to read.
–Religious Studies Review

Product Description

Music in Ancient Greece and Rome is a comprehensive introduction to the study of music from Homeric times to the Roman emperor Trahan. John G. Landels offers the first scholarly overview of the practical and performance elements of music, rather than the moral and aesthetic discussion typified by the works of Plato. Illustrated with transcriptions of surviving musical scores, diagrams and line-drawings of instruments and performers, the book explores the contexts in which music played a role, such as mythology and poetry. Detailed discussion is also given to the instruments, including the aulos, the kithara and the lyre, as well as the ingenious notation system devised by the Greeks which enables us to read the few surviving scores.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 2 edition (January 26, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415248434
• ISBN-13: 978-0415248433
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #939,855 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, February 21, 2008

By	Rosatto (Spain) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Music in Ancient Greece and Rome (Hardcover)

This book is great. I was looking for a clear and concise introduction to the world of ancient western music, and this is it. There are other books, thicker and full of technicisms, detailing all the little nuances of modality, tuning, lexicography... Try to read them if you can. This book manages to cover all the topics I was interested in (instruments, scales, notation) and some others in a brilliant way. It is a bit on the expensive side, but totally worth it.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding Music History Better, June 11, 2007

By	sweetviolets "sweetviolets" (Arnold, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This is so far a fascinating book to read. It covers music from ancient times and he uses actual music that was uncovered from those times. What I find very interesting is the connection to the modal/tonal music that we are most familiar with in this day and age. I like the way he connects things in his book! I recommend this to anyone who is interested in history and music alike. I think I shall enjoy this book for years to come!!!