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The wild creatures stood still, the trees kept every leaf from rustling, and the earth and air went utterly silent. Never before gods or mortals heard anything as beautiful and emotional as Apollo’s music. He touched the strings of the lyre, and suddenly the music mesmerized them all. When it got to his turn, Apollo rose, holding a golden lyre in his hands. Then, all living creatures started dancing wildly, and Midas thought it was the sweetest music in the world. The terms of the duel stated that the winner could treat the defeated side any way he wanted.įirst, Marsyas played such a wild and coaxing tune that the birds hopped from the trees to get near, the animals came up closer, and the trees swayed as if they wanted to dance. Marsyas became so skilled in flute playing that he challenged Apollo, the god of music (!), to a musical duel! It was judged by the Muses and King Midas (who later got the golden touch).
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THE WILD AT HEART FLUTE HOW TO
The satyr Marsyas found the discarded instrument and learned how to play it. The curse would severely punish anyone who picks up the flute. “There was every reason for them to poke fun at her,” wrote Hyginus.Īthena got so upset that she threw out the flute and cursed it.
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Suddenly she caught her reflection in a stream and realized that her fellow goddesses were right. She came to the gods’ banquet table to play it, but (Hera) and (Aphrodite) made fun of her because she turned blue and puffed out her cheeks.”Īthena ran to a forest and tried to play it again by herself. “They say that (Athena) was the first to fashion a flute out of deer-bone. Hyginus included a great story about Athena’s flute in his book, written in Latin around 300-400 A.D. She was the patroness of the city of Athenes and helped Greek heroes, such as Hercules and Odysseus on their adventures.Īthene invented the flute, but discarded it after discovering that her face is distorted while playing. The goddess Athena was the goddess of wisdom, strategy in warfare, and crafts. Composed in a moderate 4/4 time, the flute soloist gets a chance to show their technical ability intertwined with ornamentation in a light and lilting melody. A two-minute fanfare composed in 2008.Įuterpe: Greek Muse of Music by Kevin Kaisershot. Below are a few pieces that any flutist, who loves myphology, can add to their repertoire:Įuterpe by Augusta Read Thomas. Eustache Lesueur 1626-1656 Paris Clio, Euterpe et Thalie 1655 Louvre.Ĭomposers often drew inspirarion from the Greek myphology. She is almost always depicted holding a flute. All the muses were assigned various roles and Euterpe became Muse of Music and Lyric Poetry. EuterpeĮuterpe is one of the nine muses, fathered by Zeus. Let’s review some mentions to flute and music in Greek mythology. For example, dramatic music was introduced with the Greek Drama, but limited to flute-playing. It’s interesting to note that the flute playing was limited to certain occasions, as its sound seemed to the ancients to arouse enthusiasm and passion. Younger family members took instruction in these arts, as it was a part of higher education.
THE WILD AT HEART FLUTE PROFESSIONAL
Athens, the home of Greek dramatic poetry, in its golden age was the main city where professional musicians met each other. Public concerts became common towards the end of the Republic and formed a part of the musical contests. By the time of the Persian Wars the music got to its highest point of the development, which completed the ancient system.ĭancing and music entertainment became common at the meals of aristocratic families. (Remember the beautiful and sad myth of Orpheus and Euridice?)Īt the public festivals, such the Pythian games the Greeks also held music contests. Numerous myths tell us how powerful the music can be.
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They used it not only for entertainment and all kinds of events, but also gave it a great importance in refining the feelings and building the character. The Greeks cultivated music at a very early epoch. The gods and Muses were connected with music, and some even invented musical instruments: the lyre by Hermes or Apollo, the simple flute by Athene, the shepherd’s flute by Pan. The ancient Greeks thought music was of divine origin.
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