Overview

This book explores the pivotal role played by ancient mousike—in all its facets—in the development of musical practices and ideas throughout history. Since antiquity, music has consistently played a significant role in social and cultural life, and although the terms in which it is expressed and the cultural meanings it conveys vary dramatically across different times and geographies, the influence of the ancient Greek concept on modern Western notions is nevertheless striking. In a series of lucid and engaging thematic chapters, Eleonora Rocconi surveys the roles and functions of music from classical antiquity, through the Renaissance and early modern eras, and up to the present day. The discussion is structured around the key concepts, theoretical models, and aesthetic issues at play - from the educational and therapeutic value of music to its place in the ideal of cosmic harmony and its relationship to the senses and emotions - as well as the function of music in debates around individual and cultural identity. What emerges is a timely reassessment of the paradigmatic value of the Greek model in the musical reception of antiquity in different historical periods. It highlights the ongoing contribution of mousike to modern cultural debates within the realms of classics, musicology, philosophy, aesthetics, anthropology, performance, and cultural studies, as well as in artistic environments, and offers a clear and comprehensive account of its inexhaustible source of inspiration for musicians, theorists, scholars, and antiquarians across the centuries.

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9781350193819

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Reviews

Eleonora Rocconi sets out the key terms of ancient Greek music, discusses theoretical models and aesthetic issues, and gives an excellent account of the reception of ancient musical ideas up to modern times. This is a timely and up to date book, beautifully written by a leading expert in the subject. -- Armand D'Angour, Professor of Classical Languages and Literature, University of Oxford, UK

Eleonora Rocconi sets out the key terms of ancient Greek music, discusses theoretical models and aesthetic issues, and gives an excellent account of the reception of ancient musical ideas up to modern times. This is a timely and up to date book, beautifully written by a leading expert in the subject. * Armand D'Angour, Professor of Classical Languages and Literature, University of Oxford, UK * A book that musicologists, classicists and everyone interested in cultural heritage were waiting for. * Donatella Restani, Professor, University of Bologna, Italy *

Author Information

Eleonora Rocconi is Associate Professor of Classics at the University of Pavia, Italy. Her publications include several articles on aspects of music in classical antiquity, a monograph on the origin of its technical terminology (Le parole delle Muse (2003)), and several edited volumes, including the forthcoming Blackwell Companion to Ancient Greek and Roman Music (co-edited with Tosca Lynch). She is also editor-in-chief of the journal Greek and Roman Musical Studies.

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