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extended strophesfourteen lines in the case of the Louvre Partheneionwhich are still, however, made up from the simplest verse-units. The rhythms are dactylic, iambo-trochaic, and aeolic. Occasionally Alcman used the paeonic rhythm that Thaletas is said to have brought from Crete. It seems to be alien to the Ionian and Aeolian traditions, where choral singing and dancing, though no doubt known, appear not to have engaged the attentions of innovative musicians and directors as they did at Sparta. |
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Choral song probably continued to be accompanied predominantly by the kithara. This would be appropriate for Thaletas' paeans (which Pythagoras is supposed to have liked singing privately to the lyre), and he is called a composer of 'lyric' songs. Alcman represents his chorus-girls as praising their citharist, though he also mentions auloi and auletes more than once.29 Alcaeus spoke of auloi in connection with choral dances or processions in the worship of Apollo.30 A combination of auloi and lyre is not excluded. An Attic jar of the early seventh century shows a piper and a citharist leading a file of women who hold hands and branches,31 and there is plenty of evidence for the combination of the two instruments in the Classical period. For solo singing, whether public or domestic, no more than one instrument would be used. |
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Besides the lyre and auloi, the harp makes its appearance in the Lesbos of Sappho and Alcaeus, no doubt imported from Lydia.32 Two varieties of lyre first mentioned in these poets are the barmos (= barbitos?) and phoinix. Another instrument first named in them, though attested earlier in art, is the castanets. |
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From at least the time of Hesiod there had been opportunities, at large gatherings, for singers to compete for prizes.33 Terpander carried them off not only at the Spartan Karneia but also at the |
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29PMG 38, cf. 41; 51 (Apollo as a piper), 109, 126. The verb hypaulein (37, 87) properly means 'accompany on the auloi', but may have been extended to mean 'accompany' on any instrument, as apparently in Epicharmus fr. 109. |
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30 Alc. fr. 307(b) L.-P. |
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31 Berlin, Antikenmuseum 31573; my Pl. 2. A fragment of a late Geometric cup (Athens, National Museum 291; Wegner, Musik und Tanz, pl. IVc) shows a solo dancer (?) on a podium, flanked by a citharist and an aulete. |
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32 See pp. 71f. |
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33 See p. 19. |
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