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held to conduce to a calm and serious (but not quiescent) state of mind.81 |
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Rhythms with equal thesis and arsis, or as we should say, those in duple time, were judged more even, orderly, and grateful. Those in 2 : 1 ratio (triple time) were less so, though the purity of the arithmetic left them with an element of evenness. Those in 3 : 2 or 4 : 3 ratio (quintuple or septuple time) were more disturbed, more carried away.82 Aristides Quintilianus adds an interesting remark on the paion epibatos with its combination of quintuple time and long notes. It disturbs the soul with its double thesis (cf. above, p. 156), while at the same time arousing the mind to exaltation with the length of its arsis. As a response to religious music this seems altogether suitable. |
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Regularity of rhythm goes with equanimity, so it is natural that Aristides finds an emotional character in what he calls compound rhythms, that is, those in which (according to ancient analysis) feet of different kinds were put together. They include our dochmiac, ionic, and aeolic categories.83 Dochmiac, as we saw, was certainly a passionate metre. We cannot say the same generally of ionic and aeolic, which are rather versatile, but it is true as regards some of the uses to which they are put. |
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We should beware of assuming that all these theorists' statements represent an ancient consensus, and of using them mechanically to account for the choice of particular rhythms in particular compositions. I have suggested some of the other factors that may be involved. But some of the ancients' observations make good sense to us. We can readily appreciate the 'running' character of trochaics, the solemnity of long and slow notes, the lack of solemnity in short and rapid ones, and the unsettling quality of asymmetrical rhythms. We should have been inclined to find these characteristics for ourselves, and we are fortunate in having the evidence that they appeared to ancient critics in a similar light. |
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81 Dion. Hal. Dem. 22. Aristid. Quint. p. 82. 18ff., cf. 83. 26f.; above. p. 155 n. 67. Galen, De placitis Hippocratis et Platonis p. 452 Müller, says that orthios rhythms are suitable for pulling the sluggish and despondent together. |
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82 Aristid. Quint. p. 82. 10-29, with a reference to the rhythms of the human pulse |
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83 Aristid. Quint. p. 83. 7ff. A fortiori, music in which the rhythms keep changing, perhaps with corresponding changes in dance-steps, plunge the mind into turmoil, p. 83. 14ff. |
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