Page:Philological Museum v2.djvu/449

On Ancient Greek Music. 439 ^avoTTiri^ To.'^^o^ ^paSvrrjri^ and o^vTrj^ jSapvrrjTi ^vfjiCpcopo^ Kal avTL(pu)vo^^ become very simple of explanation : the first alluding to the sounding of a continuous strain by one part, while another struck in here and there at intervals; the se- cond and third to the sounding of a long fundamental note in one part, the base for instance, while the treble uttered a strain of quick notes in consonance to it. Almost all the other passages which are quoted on this side of the question may, I think, be satisfactorily explained upon the supposition that the performers sung and played in different octaves ; and cannot therefore be brought to bear on either side^. But there are one or two remarkable expressions in the Problems of Aristotle which appear to me decisive. One is in the problem quoted in Note 5 : Cia TL TjOlOV eCTTL TO aVjUtpWVOV TOV 0^0(pWVOV ; 7] Kal TO /JL€V dvTicpwvoVf avfjiCpwvou €(7TL CLCL TTuacov* €K TTacccoi/ ydpy v€0)v Kal avcpoov^ yiveTai to avTicbcovov* oi cieaTaGL tol^ Tovoi^^ 0)9 vrTr] irpos Trjv VTrarrjv, crviJiCpwvia ce Tracra, rjoiwif airXov (pOoyyov* cl a ce eiprjTaiy Kal tovtoov t] did iraawv rjoiaTfj, Here we have a clear distinction between symphony in general and that by octaves in particular ; and because that by octaves was the most agreeable of all symphonies, he says that the [ixayaSls^ which was a treble instrument, two strings of which were played in concert, was tuned in octaves rather than in any other intervals. It appears then that the consonances of the Greeks were confined to that of the octaves (to Std Traaoov) that of the fifths (to Slcl Trei/re) and that of the fourths (to ^id Tea-ad" pcov)> Now all musicians know that two consonances of fifths in succession are intolerable to the ear, as also are two of ^ Such are the passages of Longmus de Sublim. c. xxiv. ; the lines of Horace, Sonante mistum tibiis carmen lyra Hac Dorium, iUis Barbarum. Epod. ix. 5. (the Hyperphrygian and Hypodorian modes being octaves to one another) ; the passages quoted by Sir J. Hawkins from Aristotle, Vol. i. p. 267- fJLOvaLKrj Sk ogels ajixa Kal /Ja/oets, /maKpov^ n-e Kal /S^oaxeT? (jjdoyyov^ ^t^a<ra^ ev ^i-acpopoL^ cj)(x)i/a7^ fxlav ciTreTcXeaev dp/uLOviai/. Kaddirep de ev X^P^ Kopvcpaiov Ka^dp^avro's, GVveir'nxeT 7ra9 b x^po^ dvdpwv ecrd' ore Kal yvuaiKuiv cv Siaipopai'i (piouaT^ o^vTepai's Kal f^apvTepai^ ^tav. Vol. II, No. 5. 3K