Early music revisited

**soundsweird** · 09-15-2020

Yes, that's what I've gathered from reading liner notes on my albums that purport to contain the "oldest" music. Speculation, guesswork, interpretation, creativity....

**AncientChord** · 09-16-2020

Originally Posted by Mascodagama

As you probably know there are archaeologists and, apparently, "paleorganists" who study these questions. And there are surviving bits of musical notation going back as far as Sumeria:

http://www.openculture.com/2014/07/t...the-world.html

One group of academics and musicians that focuses on ancient Roman instruments and music is Synaulia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synaulia

and what they do sounds like this:

While I've no expertise, it seems to me that there must be a lot of guesswork and speculation involved. There are no surviving records of musical notation from ancient Rome and it appears that, based on the lack of any evidence in written accounts or visual art, they may not have written music down at all.

Thanks for these links and your insight.

**Zeuhlmate** · 09-16-2020

**unclemeat** · 06-07-2021

Light jazz with a medieval touch...
(Frederic Hand's Jazzantiqua, 1984)

**Progbear** · 06-07-2021

The Synaulia clip above reminds me of Elisabeth Waldo, an ethnomusicologist who studied pre-Columbian musical instruments. She made several albums comprised of replicas of said instruments:

EDIT: I had no idea until I just posted this that she is the sister of Janet Waldo, voice of (among others) Judy Jetson!

**rael74** · 06-10-2021

I am loving this thread.

The Roman music especially is something really different. Reminds me of the title sequence for the outstanding ROME TV series.

Here's another great band if you like ye olde pagan stuff:

**unclemeat** · 06-11-2021

Joe Parrish :

btw Don't miss his amazing rendition of The Rite of Spring :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFG70gFbvOg

etc...

**Zeuhlmate** · 06-11-2021

**unclemeat** · 06-12-2021

Bach ???

**Yaman Aksu** · 4 Weeks Ago

Originally Posted by unclemeat

Let's hear it for Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music influences transposed, altered or modernized.

Well, since you said "influences":
https://youtu.be/tpn62QBlHZc

**jake** · 4 Weeks Ago

Incredibly beautiful music

**unclemeat** · 4 Weeks Ago

Touch of Varèse

The whole thing :

**Progbear** · 4 Weeks Ago

Incidentally, you probably have Wanda Landowska to thank for the whole “early music” thing to begin with. The harpsichord had fallen out of favor until she re-popularized in in the 1930s, opening the gates for more “period accurate” instrument rediscovery:

**interbellum** · 4 Weeks Ago

Sarah Pillow (close with Mark Wagnon of Brand X-fame) is specialized in transforming early music to jazz-rock (amongst other genres):

Here's a 10 years old version of Dido's Lament

See also her fine catalogue at Buckyball Music, which features Percy Jones and John Goodsall to mention a few: https://buckyballmusic.com/sarah-pillow

**moecurlythanu** · 4 Weeks Ago

^ I saw them live many years ago. Got to talk to John & Percy afterwards.

**AnotherFineMess** · 2 Weeks Ago

Anton Pann Ensemble comes to mind - the music originates from the early 1800s (I think). Not prog though. If you like this kind of thing (I do), then it's really worth a listen