Monday, November 07, 2005
Sorry, just a shameless plug tonight...
I listened to Cartridge Music and another work tonight, but I will write tomorrow. Right now, I would just like to make a quick shameless plug for two of my recent music purchases: Music of the Ancient Greeks and Music of the Ancient Sumerians, Egyptians and Greeks as performed by De Organographia. I’ve always been fond of early music, and there’s not much earlier than this stuff.
A lot of the ancient Greek music has been recorded before, but the most recently discovered papyri fragments are recorded on the second CD, including a nearly-complete Christian hymn, the earliest ever discovered. It also features a nice recording of the complete Hurrian hymn to a moon goddess deciphered by Anne Kilmer in the 70’s. She also released an LP, which I bought from her (apparently it did not sell very well since they still had plenty of copies in 2001...) but I like the Organographia version a fair bit more.
Be warned though, the Egyptian music is totally dubious. For example, a horn call is recreated based on a description of it sounding like the bray of a donkey. Of course all interpretations of music notation this old are fairly dubious, but the Egyptian stuff is the most dubious of all. ;-)
I have this theory that my interest Cage and new music has also driven my interest in early music. It’s possible this is true for others as well, so I’m tossing this out...
A lot of the ancient Greek music has been recorded before, but the most recently discovered papyri fragments are recorded on the second CD, including a nearly-complete Christian hymn, the earliest ever discovered. It also features a nice recording of the complete Hurrian hymn to a moon goddess deciphered by Anne Kilmer in the 70’s. She also released an LP, which I bought from her (apparently it did not sell very well since they still had plenty of copies in 2001...) but I like the Organographia version a fair bit more.
Be warned though, the Egyptian music is totally dubious. For example, a horn call is recreated based on a description of it sounding like the bray of a donkey. Of course all interpretations of music notation this old are fairly dubious, but the Egyptian stuff is the most dubious of all. ;-)
I have this theory that my interest Cage and new music has also driven my interest in early music. It’s possible this is true for others as well, so I’m tossing this out...
Comments:
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i cant really listen to any 'classical' music before 1940 anymore. but i guess i was never truly fond of that stuff anyways. but i do still love a good old acapella mass or motet from time to time.
Here's an interesting link - an Austrian site with MIDI files of fragments from Ancient Greek music:
http://www.oeaw.ac.at/kal/agm/index.htm
http://www.oeaw.ac.at/kal/agm/index.htm
# posted by 
: 2:20 AM
: 2:20 AM
Ah yes, I found the DAGM book that site quoted. It was a depressing read, as I learned that a part of one work was lost because its owner decided to chop the pillar it was inscribed on in half, so that it would be suitable to set a flower vase on.
I enjoy a lot of baroque music, with other classical music seeming much less interesting, normally. But I am lucky enough to be pleased by hearing almost any music. It's difficult to offend me, although I might be easily bored ;-)
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I enjoy a lot of baroque music, with other classical music seeming much less interesting, normally. But I am lucky enough to be pleased by hearing almost any music. It's difficult to offend me, although I might be easily bored ;-)
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