MUSIC HISTORY STUDY SHEET

Dr. Barbara Heilmair

Musical Era/Period: Era of Ancient Greece through Early Christian Rome

Period, name and dates Ancient Greece 800 B.C.E.- 200 B.C.E., Roman
Empire 200 B.C.E.-500 C.E.

Sub-periods, names and dates

Main composer(s) Seikilos

Main genres/ performance media
Main instruments used
Ensemble sizes
Main forms (vocal and instrumental)
Weddings, funerals, military, work, nursery, dance,
taverns, entertainment, address gods, ceremonies/cults,
processions, epics sung with accompaniment.
Lyre (7 stringed harp-like instrument), Kithara (larger
harp-like instrument), and Aulos (single or double reed
wind instrument)
Solos and duets were common.
Main forms of music were vocal, ancient string
instruments made of wood, wind instruments made of
bone or wood, percussion instruments made from
wood and animal skin.

Stylistic features: Free-flowing, melody can be improvised.

Notation Very little notation was used. Hence the reason why
much ancient Greek music is lost. “Song of Seikilos”
Is one of few remains of Greek written music.

Meter, Rhythm Free flowing rhythm, no definite time signature.

Linked to rhythm and meter of words

Texture The texture was usually homophonic but, if there were

more instruments playing, it was heterophonic.
Instrument played plain melody while vocalist or solo
instrumentalist embellished or even improvised on top
of the melody.
Melody, Phrases Free-flowing, musical phrasing would be linked
closely with sound of the meter of Greek poetry.

Harmonic language Very consonant sounding (Maj and min 3rds, P4s,P5s,
8avs)

Dynamics, Articulation Basic crescendos for pitch raise or decrescendos for

Typical stylistic tools and traits
Other (e.g. language, nationality,
performance practice, etc.)
pitch drops/ mimics meter and prose of Greek poetry
and human speech.
Minimal harmony used, monophonic mostly (some
heterophony)
The words were in Greek but, later when the Romans
acquired much of the Greek style of music, words for
songs were sung in Latin.
Romans utilized music for religious purposes with the
Early Roman Christian church when Roman Empire
was losing power to invaders in N.E. Tried to steer
subjects away from pagan rituals that were utilizing
dance music.

Main developments in arts, culture, Created the building blocks of written Western music
and its music theory and philosophy today.
society, history and intellectual life