Aspects of ancient Greek music in the new psaltic theory
The 19th century as a whole is a particularly important time of zymosis and change in the tradition of scholar Greek Music. Starting with the reform of Chrysanthos or that of the Three Teachers, as it is widely known, the notation of psaltic art evolves, finding its place in history. Its theory is documented and linked closely to the distant past of ancient Greek music. This ancient Greek theoretical background is found alive through extensive use of excerpts of texts of ancient Greek authors, the widespread use of terms and definitions, several obvious influences and temporal theory loans. Furthermore, extensive recording of Greek ancient music history is now an indisputable fact, with multiple extensions. The ongoing efforts throughout the 19th century for the acquisition of historical knowledge and tracing of our musical past could be explained by ideological arguments. They are affecting in a prolific way and go along positively with the new theoretical music thought. The negotiation of this theoretical “insertion” of the distant ancient Greek past in the forming of the new psaltic theory, which is assisted by the historical knowledge and based on that, is the subject of this paper.
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