The purpose of the sacred dances of ancient Greece. Ancient choreography of Greece
At all times, dance has been an integral part of people's everyday life and life in general. He accompanied a person in both joy and sorrow, creating the mood that was necessary. Naturally, dances in ancient times were very different from modern choreography. But it is worth noting that in ancient times they received no less attention than in our days. For example, in Ancient Greece dance was considered a real priceless gift from the gods. Ancient Greek dance compositions were the embodiment of the unity of physical and mental beauty, regardless of the era. With the help of such steps, accompanied by a beautiful melody, people could touch the Divine even for a moment. The man of antiquity very strictly felt the harmony of the earthly and the Divine and tried to find it in himself and in the world around him.
Antique dances
The combination of special hand movements and rhythmic steps created an ancient dance. The choreography of Ancient Greece was distinguished by a rather strict adherence to rhythm, which gave a fantastic “correctness” to the entire action and created an inimitable spectacle. Almost everyone knew how to dance in Ancient Greece, because training program schools provided for a compulsory dance lesson. Concept ancient greek dance was the beauty, harmony and elegance of every movement. Each step should express the feelings and real emotions of the dancer.
Varieties of ancient Greek dance
In Ancient Greece, dances were quite diverse and had very different meanings - from simple and banal to meaningful and serious. All existing two hundred choreographic performances can be divided into five conditional groups, namely: civil, stage, home, ritual and sacred. The latter were mainly dedicated to Athena, Aphrodite and Dionysus. The most a prominent representative Civil dances were pyrrhiha, that is, a military dance with the use of weapons that imitated various fighting techniques.
Military dances were used not for fun, but to instill a sense of duty and fighting spirit, which was necessary in battles. Military dances were distinguished by rather complex performances and a rich variety of movements. Among other things, various objects were often used in such actions: spears, swords, darts, torches, shields, bows, etc.
Ancient Greek stage dances, which were created separately for each genre of theatrical performances, were particularly intricate and original. This dance was based on creating a special beat, which was beaten with the feet using special wooden or iron sandals. The entire choreographic performance was complemented by castanets made from oyster shells, which were worn on the middle fingers.
Evidence is in sculpture and vase painting, in the works of poets, writers, and artists. Division into participants and spectators, free in their desire - to dance or not to dance, to watch or not to watch. The ritual began to be replaced by the physical and entertainment. The whole life of Greece is permeated with eurythmy. Dancing was one of the educational disciplines, and adults and full-fledged citizens continued to study. Dancing is for spectators, not for the pleasure of jumping and not for your own entertainment. All citizens possessed some dance technique. Five groups: war dances - ritual and educational; cult moderate ones - emmelia, dance of the veils and dances of the caryatids, as well as dances at birth, wedding and funeral; orgiastic dancing; public dances and theatrical dances; dancing in everyday life. Sacred dances reflected certain days of the working calendar year. There are two main dance cults: “light” in honor of the god Apollo and “dark” in honor of the god Dionysus. Military dances in Ancient Greece played a big role in instilling courage, patriotism, and a sense of duty in youth ("pyrrhichion", "pyrrhich") Social and everyday dances (home, city, rural) accompanied family and personal celebrations, city and national holidays. Stage dances Dr.Gr. were part of theatrical performances, and each genre had its own dances: emmelia is characteristic of tragedy, cordak is characteristic of comedy, and sikkanida is characteristic of satirical drama. Dance of the veils and dance of the caryatids. Sikkanida Kubiki - acrobatic dances. Mina mima.
Dance technique of H. Limon.
Jose Arcadio Limon was born on January 12, 1908 in the Mexican city of Culiacan and was the eldest of twelve children in the family. In 1915, at the age of 7, he emigrated with his parents to the United States, to Los Angeles.
After graduation high school Lincoln, Limon entered the University of California at Los Angeles to study visual arts. In 1928 he moved to New York, where he began studying at the New York School of Design. In 1929, after seeing Rudolf von Laban's students Harold Kretzberg and Yvonne Giorgi perform, Limón became interested in dance.
Having started studying at the school of Doris Humphrey] and Charles Weidman], a year later he made his debut on Broadway. At the same time, Limon first tried his hand as a choreographer: he staged “Etude in D Minor” for himself and Laetitia Ide; the “extras” were his classmates Eleanor King and Ernestina Stoddel.
Throughout the 1930s, Lemon danced with the Humphrey-Weidman troupe, participating in productions by Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman, and also worked on Broadway: in 1932-1933 he performed in the revue Americana and in the musical by Irving Berlin As Thousands Cheer(choreography by Charles Weidman), collaborated as a choreographer with the New Amsterdam Theater.
In 1937, Lemon participated in the Bennington Dance Festival program. At the 1939 festival, held at Mills College, he created his first major choreographic work, Mexican Dances ( Danzas Mexicanas).
The following year, Lemon performed as a soloist in the revue “Don’t Walk on Lawns” (choreography by George Balanchine).
In 1941, he left the Humphrey-Weidman troupe to collaborate with May O'Donnell]. Together they staged works such as War Lyrics And Curtain Riser, however, he then returned to Humphrey and Weidman. Around this time he met Pauline Lawrence and they married on October 3, 1942. That same year, together with Mary-Ellen Moylan, Lemon danced in the musical Rosalind (choreographed by George Balanchine), which became the last show on Broadway with his participation.
Then he created numbers on classical music and on folklore themes at the Studio Theater, until in April 1943 he was drafted into the US Army Special Service], created in 1940 specifically to maintain the soldier’s spirit during the war. During his service, he collaborated with composers such as Frank Loesser and Alex North], and created several productions, the most famous of which is Concert Grasso.
After completing his military service in 1946, Limón received American citizenship.
In 1947, Limón created his own troupe, the José Limón Dance Company ( José Limón Dance Company), the artistic direction of which he offered to Doris Humphrey (thus, Limon's troupe became the first US modern dance company whose artistic director was not at the same time its founder). The troupe, whose dancers included Paolina Kohner, Lucas Howing, Betty Jones, Ruth Carrier and Limón José himself, made their Bennington College Festival debut in productions by Doris Humphrey Lament And The Story of Mankind.
Dancer and choreographer Louis Falco also danced with the company between 1960-1970, and in 1974-1975. performed in "The Moor's Pavan" directed by Jose Limon together with Rudolf Nureyev. While working with Humphrey, Lemon developed a repertoire and laid down the principles of his own style. In 1947, the troupe made its debut at New York's Belasco Theater with Humphrey's production of Day on Earth. In 1948, the troupe first performed at the Connecticut College American Dance Festival, and subsequently took part in it for many years. After staging "The Moor's Pavane", Limón received Dance Magazine's annual award for outstanding choreography. In the spring of 1950, Limon and his troupe performed in Paris with Page Ruth, becoming the first representatives of American modern dance in Europe. During Limon's life, his troupe toured the whole world and continued its activities after his death.
In 1951, Limon joined the faculty of the Juilliard School, where a new direction of dance was created. He also accepted an invitation from the National Institute of Fine Arts of Mexico City, for which he created six productions. Between 1953 and 1956, Limón choreographed and performed the roles in the show Ruins and Visions And Ritmo Jondo Doris Humphrey. In 1954, Limon's troupe became one of the first to take advantage of the International Student Exchange Program of the US State Department and toured South America. They soon embarked on a five-month tour of Europe, the Middle East, and, again, South and Central America. During this time, Lemon received his second Dance Magazine Award.
In 1958, Doris Humphrey, who had been the artistic director of the troupe for all these years, died, and Jose Limon had to take his place himself. Between 1958 and 1960 there were joint productions with Poalina Koner. During this time, Lemon received an honorary doctorate from Wesleyan University. In 1962, the troupe performed in Central Park to open the New York Shakespeare Festival. The following year, under the auspices of the US State Department, the troupe made a twelve-week trip to the Far East, performing in the production The Deamon, the musical accompaniment of which belonged to the composer Paul Hindemith. Hindemith personally conducted the premiere.
In 1964, Limón received the company's award Capezio and was appointed artistic director of the American Dance Theater at Lincoln Center. The following year, Limón appeared on a national educational television program called José Limón Dance Theatre. A few years later, he founded the Jose Limon Dance Foundation, and received another honorary doctorate from the University of North Carolina. In 1966, after performing with the troupe at the Washington cathedral, Limon was awarded a government grant of $23,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts. The following year, Limón worked on choreography for the production Psalm, which earned him an honorary doctorate from Colby College. He and his troupe were also invited to perform at the White House for President Lyndon Johnson and King Hassan II of Morocco. Last performance José Limon's stage debut as a dancer began in 1969, when he performed in the Brooklyn Academy of Music productions of The Traitor and The Moor's Pavane. In the same year, he completed two more works and received an honorary doctorate from Oberlin College.
The monuments of art and literature that have reached us prove that dance in Ancient Egypt was of no small importance. In the home circle, in public place, in the temple - dance is always and everywhere found. Almost not a single festival, not a single solemn religious ceremony was complete without dancing.
In Greece, everyone danced - from peasants to Socrates. Dancing was not only one of the general educational disciplines, but adults also willingly continued to learn it (for example, Socrates, in his old age, became eager to learn a dance he liked.
According to legend, sacred dances were transferred to Greece from Egypt by Orpheus. He saw them during the temple festivals of the Egyptians. But he subordinated his movements and gestures to his own rhythm, and they became more consistent with the character and spirit of the Greeks. These dances were performed to the sounds of the lyre and were distinguished by their austere beauty. Holidays, and therefore dances, were often dedicated to different gods: Dionysus, the goddess Aphrodite, Athena. They reflected certain days of the working calendar year.
Military dances in Ancient Greece played a big role in instilling courage, patriotism, and a sense of duty among youth. Usually military men, hairstyles and dances were performed by two people. There were also mass pyrrhichias, in which only young men danced, and sometimes girls danced along with the young men. Military dances reproduced battle, various combat formations, these were complex choreographic compositions. In the hands of the dancers were bows, arrows, shields, lighted torches, swords, spears, and darts. The plots of heroic dances, as a rule, reflected myths and legends about heroes.
In view of the important role that dance played in Egyptian rituals, there were obviously special institutions where dancers, musicians and singers were trained; there is even an indication that the temple of Amun had its own choreographic school that trained priestesses-dancers
The patron gods of fun, music and dancing among the Egyptians were Hathor, Nehemaut and the bearded dwarf Hatiy. Haty was always depicted either greeting the sun god, or dancing and playing musical instruments in front of him or in front of the goddess Hathor.
Choreography as a unique and synthetic art form
Introduction
Medieval dances are a reflection of the dark period of the Middle Ages. Their court dances historical meaning.
Folk and court dances of the Renaissance. The emergence of Ballet and its influence on the social political life. Artistic design of Medici era ballets
5. Dance art of the 17th-18th centuries. Louis XIV and ballet. The emergence of ballet music and story ballets. Court dances at the assemblies under Peter 1. Dancers-reformers Maria Camargo and Auguste Vestris. J.J. Nover and his reforms.
The era of romantic ballets of the 19th century and its representatives. Ballets of Arthur Saint-Leon, and their historical significance. Marius Petipa and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - creators of masterpieces classical ballet. New trends in dance art of the late 19th century
The development of dance art from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day.
Conclusion
Introduction
Choreography and dance have their own centuries-old history, described by historians and theater experts based on the memories of eyewitnesses and contemporaries, images of artists and numerous legends about dance and dance art. Dance art is unique because it reflected and reflects the life, morals and customs of people through the mysterious language of plasticity and gestures. The uniqueness of choreography also lies in the fact that it combines the art of dance, theater, music and fine arts, if we are talking about a dance performance.
Subject and object of research. Choreography as a unique and synthetic art form that closely interacts with music and visual arts.
Purpose of the study. Determine the uniqueness and significance of dance art at each stage historical development, as well as analyze the relationship of choreography with other forms of art.
The relevance of research. The art of choreography is of interest even now, in our time. Therefore, the question of the uniqueness of choreography, its significance in people’s lives and in history, and its relationship with other forms of art cannot but be relevant.
My research reveals the essence and meaning of dance over a huge period of time - from the ancient Greek period to the present day. The dance accompanied the magnificent celebrations and holidays of Ancient Greece and Rome, medieval balls and knightly tournaments, luxurious theatrical performances during the reign of the French kings, and, finally, turns into a separate and special form of art - the art of choreography.
Also during the study, you can notice how important historical events influenced the art of dance, and the art of dance influenced fashion, culture, customs and even the political life of a certain period in history. This was especially noticeable during the reign of Catherine de Medici and King Louis 14.
The origin and significance of dance in history. Dance art like important component theater of ancient Greece and the life of the ancient Greeks
The roots of dance art go back to the distant past and date back to the era of primitive communal times, when dance and gestures played a significant role in life. ancient man, as methods of communicative communication before the appearance and development of sound speech.
Later, the dance acquired ritual significance - people turned to dancing during weddings and religious ceremonies, military rituals, rites of the change of seasons, the birth of children or funerals. Dancing united people and was not only a way of communicating with each other and entertainment, but also a means of expressing their state of mind, thoughts and emotions. Under the influence of changing historical events, in connection with the advent of new spiritual and cultural values and new aesthetics, the meaning of dance and its main functions are gradually changing.
Let's start our excursion into history by studying dance in Ancient Greece. What was unique about the dance art of Ancient Greece? And what importance did dance play in the life of the Greeks?
It is known that the Ancient Greeks left their tangible mark on the history of world art and culture. We know the names of the great ancient Greek playwrights - Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes. We admire the majestic arches and columns, caryatids, statues of gods and heroes of ancient Greece. It was then, in those distant times, Special attention focuses on beauty and aesthetics human body, movements and poses, and, of course, dance.
Dances in Ancient Greece were divided into ritual (sacred, ceremonial), social, stage and military. Thus, stage ancient Greek dances were part of theatrical performances. All Greek youths were required to learn the art of military dance.
In Greece, everyone danced, regardless of age and social status, and loved holidays and entertainment, which were often accompanied by theatrical performances, songs, dances and playing musical instruments.
The holiday in honor of the god Dionysus or Great Dionysia was celebrated several times a year in Athens. The holiday lasted several days: the temple of Dionysus was decorated, large processions were organized, songs of praise were sung, and theatrical competitions were organized for the authors of drama, tragedy and comedy. Author-poets were also directors, choreographers and even, not rarely, actors in their works.
Dance in the sanctuary of Dionysus. Attic vase of the 5th century. BC.
"There are young men and blooming maidens, desired by many,
They dance in a circular choir, kindly intertwining their hands.
Virgins in linen and light clothes, youths in vestments
They are lightly dressed, and their purity, like oil, shines;
Those - lovely wreaths of flowers decorate everyone;
These are golden knives, on silver belts over the shoulder.
They dance and spin with their skillful feet,
As easy as turning a wheel under the experienced hand,
If a poor person tests him to see if he can spin easily;
Then they will develop and dance in rows, one after another.
(Homer "Iliad", translation by N.I. Gnedich)
The theatrical dances of ancient Greece include emmelia, cordac and sikkinida. Dance as part of a tragedy ( emmelia) was quite slow and majestic, and the gestures in it ( chironomy) - wide, large. The kordak consisted of inserted comic scenes, a kind of choreographic buffoonery. This dance was quite obscene, performed at a rapid pace, with squats, jumps and “heels in the sky.” The chorus in Aristophanes' comedy "Wasps" accompanies this violent, unbridled dance with these words:
Spin faster and faster!
Phrynic's dance!
Throw your feet higher!
Let the audience gasp: “ah, ah!”
Seeing heels in the sky.
Spin, somersault and hit yourself in the belly!
Throw your legs forward, spin like a top...
Kordak. Vase painting, 5th century. BC e.
The dance of the satirical drama - Sikinnis - had a lot in common with it, focusing on the tastes of ordinary people and often representing a parody of many sides public life.
Dance of two satyrs. Vase painting, first half of the 5th century. BC e.
Complex dances, with acrobatic elements and tricks, were performed by professional dancers, acrobats, and jugglers. They were accompanied by playing musical instruments. Lucian described in his treatise: “And on Delos, even ordinary sacrifices could not be done without dancing, but were accompanied by it and performed to music. The youths, gathered in a round dance, performed rhythmically in a circle to the sounds of the flute and cithara, and the dance itself was performed by the best dancers selected from among them. Therefore, the songs written for these round dances were called “dance choruses,” and all lyric poetry full of them."
Once every four years, a holiday was celebrated in honor of the goddess Athena - the patroness of the city of Athens - Greater Panathenaea. The holiday consisted of a torchlight procession to the statue of Athena, offering numerous and rich gifts to the beloved goddess: clothes, works of art, sacrificial animals, flowers, and was also accompanied by war dances. Pyrrhiha belongs to the most striking military dances.
Pyrrhiha, warrior dance
According to one legend, the first performer of the pyrrhic dance was Pallas Athena. She danced it in honor of the victory over the Titans. Another legend claims that it was invented by King Pyrrhus. Most researchers are inclined to think that the name comes from the word “pira” - “bonfire”, around which Achilles danced at the funeral of Patroclus. For the pyrrhic dance, the dancers wore warrior costumes. In their hands they had a bow, shield, arrows or other weapons. They galloped forward, jumping from one leg to the other; then various military movements and combinations were carried out - they attacked each other in straight ranks, closed in a common circle, jumped in groups, knelt, etc.
A Greek wedding was also accompanied by dancing, singing and certain rituals. Here is how Homer describes the wedding process: “There, brides are escorted from the palaces, bright lamps with brilliance, wedding songs with clicks, through the city’s hundred squares. The young men dance in choruses, cheerful sounds of lyres and pipes are heard among them; respectable wives look at them and marvel, standing on the gate porches. The bride's mother lit a torch from her hearth and followed the cart along with relatives and guests. Some carried torches to light the road, others carried gifts, and special type tripod, lutrofor and kalpides for wedding rituals, many sang wedding songs and danced to the accompaniment of aulos and lyres, exclamations addressed to Hymen sounded all the way to the groom’s house.”
Dance in ancient Greece was complex, virtuosic, and certainly aesthetically developed. This is evidenced by ancient Greek frescoes and drawings, which depict pronounced movements and poses, emphasizing the beauty of the lines of the human body and the “turnout” of the legs.
Ariball painting, Jumping dancers, late 6th century. BC e.
Dancers and acrobats. Work of the circle master Polygnotus, ca. 430 BC e.
ABOUT high level The development of ancient Greek dance is also evidenced by the reasoning of philosophers about dance. And this was not surprising, because dance in Ancient Greece was part of the philosophical sciences - it was studied in gymnasiums, along with music, philosophy and other subjects. Numerous treatises were written about the connection between dance and philosophy by ancient Greek philosophers - Plato, Plutarch, Xenophon, Lucian and others. Philosophers were not only interested in the art of dance, but also loved to dance themselves. Xenophon wrote: “Even the wise Socrates loved the dance of Memphida, and often when His acquaintances saw him dancing, he told them that dancing is an exercise for every part of the body.”
The beauty of ancient Greek dance, its meaning, history of development and relationship with music is described by Lucian in his treatise: “I will say that dance not only delights, but also benefits the audience, educates them well, and teaches them a lot. The dance brings harmony and measure into the soul of the beholder, delighting the eyes with the most beautiful sights, captivating the ears with the most beautiful sounds and revealing the beautiful unity of mental and physical beauty. And if, in conjunction with music and rhythm, dancing achieves all this, then for this it deserves not censure, but rather praise... Dancing is not a new activity, it did not begin yesterday or the third day... For example, from the time of our ancestors or from their parents - no: people who provide the most reliable information about the pedigree of the dance will be able to tell you that simultaneously with the origin of the first principles of the universe, the dance also arose, which was born along with it, the ancient Eros. Namely: the round dance of the stars, the interweaving of the wandering luminaries with the fixed ones, their harmonious community and the measured order of movements are manifestations of the primordial dance. Afterwards, little by little, developing continuously and improving, the dance now seems to have reached its final heights and has become a diverse and harmonious blessing, combining the gifts of many Muses... But since the dancer’s art is imitative, since he undertakes to depict the content of the song with his movements, “The dancer must, like orators, practice, achieving the greatest clarity, so that everything he depicts is understandable, without requiring any interpreter.”
In general, dance and the dance art of Ancient Greece played an important role in the life of the Greeks. Filling and enriching life in a spiritual and aesthetic sense, dance becomes an integral part of religious holidays and rituals, wedding ceremonies and military rituals, as well as part of the culture and art of Ancient Greece. The beauty and aesthetics of ancient Greek movements, poses and gestures are confirmed by numerous drawings of Ancient Greece, the impressions of contemporaries and treatises of philosophical thinkers. The dance art of Ancient Greece, like other forms of art, undoubtedly influenced the development of world culture and art, theater and ballet. TO ancient dances Many directors, dancers and choreographers turn to ancient culture. The great American dancer Isadora Duncan borrows ancient Greek poses and gestures for her improvisations, and also uses the ancient Greek tunic as the main type of costume for her performances. Choreographers J. J. Nover, M. Graham, G. Aleksidze, Y. Posokhov and others turn to the plot of the ancient Greek legend about Jason and Medea.
1. Style and harmony
Sources based on archaic material divided Greek music into three main "harmonies" ("styles"): Dorian, Ionian and Aeolian.
So Athenaeus (XIV 624 p-626 a) writes: “There are three harmonies, like the three Greek tribes () - Dorian, Aeolian and Ionian. There is a considerable difference in the characters of these tribes. The Spartans, more than other Dorians, follow the path of their ancestors... By Dorian harmony they [that is, the archaic Greeks] called the movement of the melody that the Dorians used, and the one that the Aeolians sang was called Aeolian harmony, and for the third harmony they had the name is Ionian, which... was sung by the Ionians. Dorian harmony is distinguished by masculinity and dignity. It is not boring, not joyful, but stern and tense, and [moreover, it is] not complex or variegated in style. The character of the Aeolians combines arrogance and importance, even boastfulness... However, their character is not prone to malice, but is proud and impudent. This is why their love of drink, their erotic inclinations and their general effeminacy of lifestyle fit so well together. For the same reason they have the character of what... what the ancients used to call Aeolian harmony... "Aeolian harmony is that song that suits anyone who is furious."... Then let us examine the character of the inhabitants of Miletus, somewhat manifested in the Ionians. Having graceful, strong bodies, they carry themselves boastfully and are full of life: they are difficult to calm, they are pugnacious and there is nothing of kindness or good fun in them. They also exhibit hostility and harshness. Consequently, the Ionian type of harmony is neither invigorating nor joyful, but harsh, brutal and noblely important. ...So these three harmonies exist, as we said at the beginning, just as [there are] three tribes.”
Subsequently, the terminology changed somewhat. The division into three “harmonies” (“styles”) was preserved, but the place of the Ionian and Aeolian harmonies was taken by the Phrygian and Lydian. The music of the Phrygians () was associated by the Greeks with frenzy and frenzy. The riotous and orgiastic music of the Dionysian cult, which came to the Greeks from Asia Minor, was the most striking embodiment of “Phrygian harmony.” In the common Greek understanding, playing and singing in Phrygian meant creating and performing fast-paced, whirlwind music with the highest emotional intensity. The widespread love and erotic elegies of the Lydians () created character traits"Lydian harmony".
The uniqueness of this terminology lay in the fact that the established designations implied not so much the theme as the altitudinal region of the sound space. Ptolemy (Harmonics II; 6) twice repeats the same statement that “the ancients... sang only in Dorian, Phrygian and Lydian [keys], differing from each other by one tone.” And further (ibid.) he writes: “In general, the three most ancient [tonals], called Dorian, Phrygian and Lydian... are distinguished from each other by tone.” Works of “Lydian harmony” were performed mainly in the high register, “Phrygian” – in the middle register, “Dorian” – in the low register. The lower register was perceived as the personification of a calm, majestic state, and the high register, on the contrary, as the embodiment of tension and dynamics. Genres such as trains, linodys, laments, and funeral songs sounded in a high register, as they were supposed to be perceived intensely and dynamically. Hymns and chants at religious ceremonies, on the contrary, were performed in a low register.
2. Varieties musical instruments
The tools the Greeks used were very different from modern ones. There were two main types: strings, such as the cithara, and wind instruments, such as the flute. Both in terms of timbre and sound strength, they were unusually simple and colorless.
The basis of the lyre and its resonator was a turtle shell (soundboard). Two horns of a goat or antelope were inserted into the two front natural openings of the shell, forming the arms of the lyre (ancones). At the top they were connected by a transverse crossbar - a string player (xigon). Strings from guts or veins were attached to the latter directly or with the help of pegs (collopes). At the bottom, the strings were tied to a smooth and flat filly (ipolyrion), without touching the flat part of the shell ().
When playing the lyre, the performer (lyricist) usually sat and held the instrument on his knees, somewhat obliquely away from himself. The lyre was tuned using a special key (chordoton). When playing, they used not only fingers, but also a plectrum made of wood, ivory or metal. They played simultaneously with the fingers and the plectrum, then alternately (the plectrum was a flat, small stick pointed at both ends; sometimes it was a spoon with a hole into which the finger of the right hand was conveniently inserted).
The barbiton is mentioned as a separate type of lyre. It was larger than a lyre and had a lower sound. Other varieties of lyres are pectida, epigonion and magada. The latter had 20 strings, the epigonion - 40.
4. Kifara
The kithara differed from the lyre in that not only the soundboard, but also its bows were hollow. They consisted of thin wooden or metal plates and varied in size and elegance of decoration. Usually the kithara had seven strings. It was a favorite instrument, indispensable during musical competitions, sacrifices and ceremonial processions. If the lyre was easy to handle and it was not difficult to learn to play it, then the kithara required professional training. It was much larger than the lyre, much longer and heavier (). During the game, the cithara was thrown on a belt over the shoulder, the strings were clamped with the left hand, and the strings were plucked with the right. The citharist stood while performing.
The kithara was one of the poorest and least expressive instruments imaginable, but it was distinguished by its austere purity of sound and manly clarity. And this is precisely what the Greeks valued in her! After all, they did not demand from their instruments either a brilliant and passionate reproduction of the pleasures, struggles, sufferings that fill life, or a changeable reflection of those dreams into which our joys and sorrows sometimes plunge us. They wanted clear and simple impressions, which were like an echo of that Olympus, where eternal bliss reigned.
The larger cithara, which had a string that connected the arms, pegs and resonance box, was called a forminga.
5. Other stringed instruments
The Greek variety of harp was called trigon (). The trigon had a triangular shape, which was formed either by a soundboard with a string player and a third string, or simply by both arms without a string player. Also mentioned is the megadis, a multi-stringed instrument played with both hands without a plethra.
6. Flute
Wind instruments, unlike strings, produced passionate and inspiring sounds. The simplest wind instrument was the flute. It was made from special reed; such reeds appeared when, after heavy rains, there was high water in the lake for at least two years. Growing up with high water the reed was thicker and fleshier than usual. All flutes were wider at the bottom, narrower at the top and had several side holes (from 1 to 7). The mouthpiece could be metal and have different shape: it was sometimes narrower, sometimes wider; sometimes straight, sometimes curved.
The flute had great variety and flexibility of sound. It was used as a necessary accessory to brilliant celebrations; usually it served as an accompaniment to love and passionate songs. However, the capabilities of this tool were also very limited.
7. Pipe
Svirel – consisted of 7 or 9 hollow reed tubes (syringa) different lengths, connected to each other with wax (). Its sound was light, pleasant, a little whistling (sometimes they talk about the “squealing” sounds of a shepherd’s pipe). The range of the pipe was limited to the high register.
8. Avlos
Along with the cithara, the most common instrument in the ancient world was the aulos. It consisted of a mouthpiece with one or two reeds and a tube (bombix) equipped with four (or more) holes and side valves in the form of movable pegs. The length of the bombix varied depending on the required register and type of instrument: high-sounding aulos with a small range were short, and low-sounding aulos with a wider range were much longer. Bombyx was made from reed, wood, ivory, and also the cleaned knee bones of a donkey or deer. The bombix had a certain number of holes (up to 15 in the most complex ones), so that the aulos range could cover up to two octaves. The mouthpiece with a tongue was made of reeds and was the most important part of the instrument. In its structure, the aulos was close to the modern clarinet.
The performers on the aulos were called aulets.
Along with single aulos, double aulos were widespread: with tubes of the same or different lengths and a common mouthpiece. In this case, one tube was called male and produced low tones, the other was called female and produced high tones ().
9. Signaling Tools
Among the Spartans, along with the lyre and lyre, one of the most common instruments was the salpinx - a long straight pipe with a bowl-shaped pipe and a widened lower end. It made hoarse, staccato sounds and was used to signal troops on the battlefield, as well as to perform military marches. A horn (keras) was used to give signals in the camp. The trumpeter was called a kerataules.
10. Noise and percussion instruments
Kimbalon is a percussion instrument; consisted of two small hollow metal hemispheres of the same size. Each hemisphere had a flat ring that could be used to hold the instrument as the musician struck them together. The cymbalon was especially widely used during the Dionysian period.
Tympanum is a tambourine covered in leather with metal circles on the frame. They hit it with their hand or shook it. The tympanum set the rhythm for marches and dances on the holidays of Dionysus and Demeter.
The crotalon (rattle) was used during orgies in honor of Dionysus, and also as an accompaniment when performing merry dances.
Krupesion - consisted of two metal or wooden planks connected at an acute angle with a bell between them. Worn on the leg and used by choir directors who set the rhythm for the singers.
11. The nature of ancient Greek music
Moving from musical instruments to music itself, it is necessary to note the difference between the art of the ancient Greeks and modern peoples. In music, the Greeks loved clarity, calmness and purity of tone rather than the richness of consonances. They had an instinctive fear of a melody that was too rich and too sensitive. This is especially true for the Spartans. The words of their songs were always simple and courageous. They only praised those who lived nobly and had the good fortune to die for Sparta, or condemned people who showed cowardice.
12. Founders of musical art
Music played an important role in the social life of the Spartans. In the 7th – 6th centuries. BC Sparta was a kind of legislator of the canons of classical musical art. In 676/673 BC. here the All-Dorian festival of Apollo Carnean was established. The main figure of this event was Terpander, a poet and lyre player from Aeolian Lesbos. He was credited with creating the “kypharodic nome” (“nome”, in Greek, “law”, “charter”).
The “second establishment” occurred in 665 BC, when the Spartan festival of gymnopedia was established. The main figure of this event was Thaletas, a poet and lyre player from Dorian Crete. He was credited with the creation of the first paeans and hyperchemes, that is, the transformation of the nome from a solo work into a choral one.
A contemporary of Terpandra and Thaletas was the third famous musician of the 7th century. BC – A clone who was credited with creating the “aulodic nome” (a verbal composition sung to the accompaniment of a flute).
13. Terpander
Terpander was born in the city of Antissa on the west coast of Lesbos. According to legend, he became the heir to the lyre of the mythical Orpheus (the waves washed it to the island) and with it he received a rare ability to create musical works. Terpander introduced notes, with the help of which he depicted not only his melodies, but also the works of previous composers, ancient folk songs and accepted liturgical chants. Four times in a row he won the Pythian Games.
The Delphic oracle called on Terpandra to save Sparta from a public disaster - civil strife. It is not known why these discords arose, but they were terrible. It seemed that the city had gone mad. People attacked each other with swords in the streets and during feasts. When Terpander appeared in Sparta, he had an unprecedented lyre in his hands - not a four-stringed one, as it was known before, but a seven-stringed one, as it has become since then. He struck the strings - and, listening to his measured playing, people began to breathe more evenly, look at each other kinder, threw down their weapons, held hands and, stepping in harmony, led a round dance in honor of the god Apollo. Terpander played before the council and people's assembly- and those who disagreed came to agreement, those who were irreconcilable made peace, those who did not understand found mutual language. He played at feasts and houses - and friendship reigned at feasts, and love reigned in houses. (Thus, Terpander was credited with the “invention” of not only liturgical nomes, but also table scolia).
Terpandra's merit lay in the fact that he composed wonderful music, the emotional structure of which was fully consistent with the spirit of the laws being established and the features of their text. It had to be bright and imaginative music, helping to penetrate the essence of the law and acceptable to all ages and a wide variety of tastes.
Terpandra's nomes were most likely two-part: the first part (archa, i.e. “beginning”) was an invocation to some deity. In front of a large crowd of people, a singer with a cithara stood facing the temple or statue of a deity and sang an invocation or prayer. For example:
"Zeus, the first principle of all things, the leader of all
Zeus, I address this beginning of glorification to you..."
After completing the archa, the singer turned to face the people and began to sing himself. This part was called omphalos (“center”, “concentration”). Here, in sung hexameters, the basic Spartan laws were fulfilled. Terpander himself translated the retras of Lycurgus into verse so that young people could learn them by heart.
However, the theme of the omphalos was devoted not so much to the chanting of legal provisions, but to the praise of moral and physical virtues that are a consequence of observing the laws.
14. Evolution of nome
After Terpandra the nome became tripartite. The completion of the nome was the sphragis (“seal”), in which the author’s originality was most fully manifested. Later, some kifareds began to introduce a special instrumental episode between the first two parts of the nome. Now the performer’s turn from the temple to the people was not a formal and fleeting movement. It was done very slowly and was accompanied by special music, and this part itself was called catathropa (“turn”).
Subsequently, between the archa and the catatrope, another part appeared - the metarcha ("next to the archa"), and between the catatropa and the omphalos - the metacatatropa ("next to the catatropa"). Sfragis began to conclude the epilogue. Thus, the nome became seven-part. At first, the nome was associated only with the topic of Spartan legislation. Subsequently, the legal part of the nome becomes smaller and smaller.
15. Thalet
A younger contemporary, Terpandra Thaletos, was born in Gorgin on Crete. He couched his legislative ideas not in paragraphs of doctrine, not in codes of laws, but in lyrical songs. The Lacedaemonians persuaded Thaletas to move to their policy. According to legend, he saved Sparta from a natural disaster - with his play he averted the plague from the city. But Thalet did even more to maintain civil peace. The songs he composed called for obedience and unanimity through melodies and rhythms. Together with two other musicians, Thaletos established gymnopedias in Laconia - annual ten-day festivals held in memory of the fallen Spartans and dedicated to Apollo. The execution of the exercises was accompanied by chants at the gymnopedia, which were of a serious and solemn nature.
16. Further development ancient Greek lyrics
The second generation of lyricists is determined by the name of Alcman (lived ca. 630 BC). He was a Greek from Lydian Sardis, also for a long time lived in Sparta. He was considered the founder and best master of the genre of parthenias - “girls' songs”, performed by competing choirs in processions at women's holidays.
The next great musician, Sakad from Argos, won the Pythian competitions among the auletes three times (in 586, 584 and 582 BC). Tradition attributes to him the creation of the “Three Song Elegies”, each of which sounded in one of the main tonalities - Dorian, Phrygian and Lydian. Sakada’s greatest creation was considered the “Pythian Nome,” dedicated to the struggle between Apollo and Python. In the first part (“Test”), Apollo tested whether the place he had chosen for the fight was suitable or not. In "Battle Cry" the god challenged the monster to a duel. In the Iambic (where the duel itself took place), the aulos imitated the trumpet calls and gnashing of the dragon's teeth. “Sponday” sounded like a hymn or an oath to Apollo. In “Kotahorevis” the solemn song and dance of Apollo thundered as he celebrated his victory.
Simonides of Keos (556 - 468 BC) became the creator of two new genres of choral lyrics: epinikia - songs in honor of victory in competitions and phren - lamentation about the death of an eminent citizen.
17. Dance art
The Greeks have always been delighted with rhythmic, harmonious and expressive movements. Therefore, dancing occupied an important place among other arts, and had many varieties. Some dances were performed by individual dancers, others by entire choirs; some were sad, others were cheerful; some are peaceful, others are warlike. A special genre includes hyporhems - songs accompanied by dances.
The dance was based on strict adherence to rhythm, on a combination of rhythmic steps with appropriate gestures and hand movements. Through dance they represented various historical events or acted out scenes from life. Each dance was dedicated to one of the immortal inhabitants of Olympus and reflected what should be characteristic of this or that deity, the world to which God extended his protection.
The Greeks had two main requirements for all dances: firstly, they had to be distinguished by the beauty of their plasticity, and secondly, they had to clearly express various feelings and well-known thoughts. The dance very often had a purely imitative character. For example, the dancers depicted a semblance of a battle and performed in time all the movements that take place in a battle: they pretended to throw arrows or dodge them, threw a spear and reflected blows; they ran forward, retreated, bent over, fell to the ground as if wounded or killed, quickly rose up and changed front. In choral lyrical dances, the beauty of each individual dancer was complemented by the beauty of the movements of the choir, which unfolded now in straight, now in wavy lines, now in parallel and counter, and these movements were arranged and diversified in thousands of ways; sometimes the choir consisted of half boys and half girls; their groups intertwined, harmoniously and in time, performing simple and complex figures.
18. Some ancient Greek dances
The most famous war dance of the Greeks was the pyrrhea, performed by dancers in full armor. With weapons and armor, the dancers presented various scenes of battles. According to Plato, the dance reproduced “the movements of beautiful bodies and courageous souls in war or in difficult circumstances... By dodging and retreating, high jumping and bending, he reproduced techniques that help avoid blows and arrows. It also reproduced pyrrhic movements of the opposite kind, used in offensive actions, that is, when archery, when throwing a dart and when delivering various blows.”
A kind of dance performed at feasts was the cordax. Staggering and swaying, the dancer imitated the movements of a drunk.
The Crane was considered a beautiful dance. Boys and girls, holding hands, performed various figures, imitating this bird. Under the direction of the choir director, they made circles and turns, and also walked in a line, accompanying their movements with many evolutions.
Civilization and culture of Ancient Greece
