Comments on: Extinct ancient music lilts again http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/802 History fetish? What history fetish? Thu, 08 Jan 2009 12:24:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: livius drusus http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/802#comment-19880 livius drusus Sun, 28 Sep 2008 16:07:24 +0000 http://www.thehistoryblog.com/?p=802#comment-19880 Well, I think actual instrument making is outside of these fellows' purview. They're technogeeks, not shop geeks. It would be great if they shared the epigonion blueprint with craftsmen who specialize in making musical instruments. Well, I think actual instrument making is outside of these fellows’ purview. They’re technogeeks, not shop geeks.

It would be great if they shared the epigonion blueprint with craftsmen who specialize in making musical instruments.

]]> By: Gary Corby http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/802#comment-19845 Gary Corby Sat, 27 Sep 2008 20:00:44 +0000 http://www.thehistoryblog.com/?p=802#comment-19845 Why, if they had all this information, didn't they simply build a new epigonian? Okay, the software is cool, but it introduces the extra variable of the algorithms being right, which is hard to prove, whereas a physical model made with the correct raw material is more likely to be close to the original. Why, if they had all this information, didn’t they simply build a new epigonian? Okay, the software is cool, but it introduces the extra variable of the algorithms being right, which is hard to prove, whereas a physical model made with the correct raw material is more likely to be close to the original.

]]> By: livius drusus http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/802#comment-19060 livius drusus Fri, 12 Sep 2008 01:47:10 +0000 http://www.thehistoryblog.com/?p=802#comment-19060 That is totally fucking cool. I'm tearing up! Really! That is totally fucking cool. I’m tearing up! Really!

]]> By: fragment http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/802#comment-19027 fragment Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:12:14 +0000 http://www.thehistoryblog.com/?p=802#comment-19027 Aha! <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MMI06AnhtM" rel="nofollow">Found a guy doing</a> the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delphic_Hymns" rel="nofollow">First Delphic Hymn to Apollo</a> (c138BCE) on a lyre. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KRnAKzFMhk" rel="nofollow">Same guy does</a> the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seikilos_epitaph" rel="nofollow">Song of Seikilos</a>, apparently the oldest known complete piece of music (it's short) known in notation, and it's a drinking song from an epitaph! <blockquote>While you live, shine Don't suffer anything at all; Life exists only a short while And time demands its toll</blockquote> Pretty cool sentiments for a tune that's survived so much time to be played again... Aha! Found a guy doing the First Delphic Hymn to Apollo (c138BCE) on a lyre. Same guy does the Song of Seikilos, apparently the oldest known complete piece of music (it’s short) known in notation, and it’s a drinking song from an epitaph!

While you live, shine
Don’t suffer anything at all;
Life exists only a short while
And time demands its toll

Pretty cool sentiments for a tune that’s survived so much time to be played again…

]]> By: livius drusus http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/802#comment-18874 livius drusus Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:16:58 +0000 http://www.thehistoryblog.com/?p=802#comment-18874 <blockquote>This kind of modelling is pretty impressive, but doing a singing voice is a whole ‘nother thing. The voice is the most complex instrument there is, and our brains are really well wired to discerning subtle distinctions in voices.</blockquote> That makes sense. What are the mechanics of a castrato's voicebox anyway? You'd need some kind of autopsy data. <blockquote>On a related note, there are scraps of ancient Greek music notation that have survived, some work’s been done on figuring out how the tunes went, but I don’t think any full pieces have been discovered.</blockquote> Very cool. The ASTRA folks need to get their grubby hands on those scraps so their virual epigonion can play actual ancient tunes instead of medieval and later.

This kind of modelling is pretty impressive, but doing a singing voice is a whole ‘nother thing. The voice is the most complex instrument there is, and our brains are really well wired to discerning subtle distinctions in voices.

That makes sense. What are the mechanics of a castrato’s voicebox anyway? You’d need some kind of autopsy data.

On a related note, there are scraps of ancient Greek music notation that have survived, some work’s been done on figuring out how the tunes went, but I don’t think any full pieces have been discovered.

Very cool. The ASTRA folks need to get their grubby hands on those scraps so their virual epigonion can play actual ancient tunes instead of medieval and later.

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