Documents of Ancient Greek Music

First published in 1970, this text presents some rare surviving fragments of ancient Greek music. This new edition, prepared as a result of more recent research, includes extra material which should afford a clearer perception than hitherto of how Greek music evolved over time.

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This uniquely complete and up-to-date collection of the surviving remains of ancient Greek music will serve as the standard work of reference for decades to come. Since its appearance in 1970, Egert Pohlmann's Denkmaler altgriechischer Musik has been the standard collection of the surviving fragments of ancient Greek music. But the publication of many further texts in recent years has put it in urgent need of updating. In this new English edition, prepared in collaboration with Martin West, the number of items has risen to 61, of which 23 are additions to the content of the 1970 book. They extend from the fifth century BC to the third or fourth AD, and afford a clearer perception than hitherto of how Greek music evolved over time. All the texts, new and old, have been carefully revised against the original documents or photographs, and many improved readings have been obtained as a result.
Each item is given in diplomatic transcript with the ancient music notation, transcription into modern musical notation (except in the case of the smallest fragments), a double critical apparatus for the notation and the poetic text, and a commentary explaining the source and nature of the document, the history of its discovery and study, the musical scales used in it, and any other features of the music or its notation that call for comment. Good-quality photographs are provided for most items, exception being made for some items of which images are relatively easily accessible elsewhere, for example in the volumes of the Oxyrhynchus Papyri.
All who are interested in ancient Greek music, whether as an aspect of Hellenic culture or as a chapter of high importance in the early history of music generally, will welcome this comprehensive scholarly presentation of the source material by the two leading experts in the field.