Roman Music

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Roman Music

Postby Cleopatra Aelia on Sun Aug 21, 2005 9:35 pm

Salvete Omnes,

On Marius' Roman Outpost we had discussed some time ago Roman Music. Mostly we came up with modern music which puts pictures of Ancient Rome in our minds. In my case that is the soundtrack to the movie "Gladiator".

But I always wondered what real Ancient Roman music sounded like. There are many groups around who play Medieval music, but so far I didn't come across any group playing Roman music - until now. There are two groups I came across. One is called MVSICA ROMANA and the other OMNIA.

MVSICA ROMANA has a web page: www.musica-romana.de and both CDs (that of MVSICA ROMANA and of OMNIA) could be ordered via the record label www.emmuty.com

Does anyone else of you know groups playing Ancient Roman music?
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Postby Quintus Pomponius Atticus on Sun Aug 21, 2005 10:17 pm

Salve Cleopatra,

I recall that P. Dionysius Mus has a cd with reconstructed Roman music. Perhaps he can tell us more about it.

I myself have a cd with reconstructions of ancient Greek music. For listening samples, go to : http://www.amazon.fr/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004TVG7/qid=1124655293/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_8_1/402-4297945-0883313

Vale,

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Postby Primus Aurelius Timavus on Mon Aug 22, 2005 3:51 pm

I highly recommend Somnia Imperii available at

http://www.ancestral.co.uk/romanmusic.htm

The CD is full of highly evocative pieces played on reconstructed instruments. Most of the songs are purely instrumental, but there are a couple with Latin poems (and one in Greek).

Be aware that the program notes, at least in the first edition that I received, do not match the order of the songs on the CD. David Marshall, the creator of the CD, told me that the discrepancy is due to a last minute change required by the recording company that could not be corrected on the notes before shipment. Perhaps there has been time to do so since.
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Postby Cleopatra Aelia on Fri Aug 26, 2005 9:02 pm

Salve Tergeste,

Primus Aurelius Tergestus wrote:I highly recommend Somnia Imperii available at

http://www.ancestral.co.uk/romanmusic.htm



This CD sounds very interesting, too. But it's very very expensive - 25 Euros!!! Usually a CD shouldn't cost more than 15 Euros, unless it is a double album.
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Postby Publius Dionysius Mus on Sat Aug 27, 2005 11:12 am

Salvete!

Cleopatra Aelia wrote:This CD sounds very interesting, too. But it's very very expensive - 25 Euros!!! Usually a CD shouldn't cost more than 15 Euros, unless it is a double album.


I have this cd at home. For us, Belgians, this is not at all that expensive... But I must confess that I also order most of my cd's from Germany because of the much better prices they ask for them. Germany is very cheap for cd's!

Anyway, the cd by David Marshall contains mostly his own compositions, played on reconstructed instruments. Unlike Greek music, where a few melodies have survived on stone, Roman music is not known, except for one song (I believe it can be found on Gregorio Panagua's cd of reconstructed Greek music which Atticus mentioned earlier).

I should also mention that there is a very new branch in archaeology that may be very promising: music-archaeology. Here everything concerning music in ancient times is researched by archaeologists (who should of course know a lot about music in general too). Reconstructing songs and instruments can help to further the knowledge about ancient music, so a lot is to be expected from this branch in the future.

Valete bene
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Postby Primus Aurelius Timavus on Sat Aug 27, 2005 10:35 pm

So, Mus, do you like David Marshall's CD or not? You left us without a recommendation!
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Postby Publius Dionysius Mus on Mon Aug 29, 2005 11:47 am

Salvete!

Primus Aurelius Tergestus wrote:So, Mus, do you like David Marshall's CD or not? You left us without a recommendation!


Well, I find it very difficult to judge the cd... I like the music and singing on the cd, but there is so much 'guessing' involved that one can not be sure that this is how Roman music really sounded. You can build instruments to look exactly as they appear on paintings, mosaics or reliefs, but you can never be sure that they sounded the way they sound on this cd. And the songs themselves are an even bigger issue: there is only one Roman song that survived the ages, all other Roman music has to be 'reconstructed', or invented... Of course, when you have the sound of your instruments (but you can never be totally sure about this...) and the examples of Greek music that have survived the ages, it could be possible to write music that looks a lot like Roman music (considering that we today know a lot more about music than the Romans did...).

So, in short: I like the cd, but I don't like the label 'Roman music' on it... If this should sound a little too negative: this cd is also the closest one can be to Roman music!

Valete bene
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Postby Aulus Dionysius Mencius on Thu Sep 01, 2005 7:18 pm

dude.... :?

Your post is of rather contradictory nature... sigh :wink: You say that you wouldn't put the label Roman music on it, and then you state that it's the closest you can get to Roman music.

Hence my :?: ... How do you know that????

Sayonara gozaimasu, tomodachi. Watashi wa kazuki o tabete node, chotto futotte imasu...

(This nonsensical line is just to practice my japanese. Basically says: Goodbye, my friends. I am a little on the heavy side because I have eaten too much. Just ignore it :wink: )
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Postby Primus Aurelius Timavus on Thu Sep 01, 2005 7:40 pm

Watashi no tokoro de nani o nomimasen ka?

My Japanese is pretty much limited to basic tourist needs and pick up lines like the above, but I'll be happy to read your nonsense if you want to keep writing it!

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Postby Aulus Dionysius Mencius on Fri Sep 02, 2005 7:52 am

Mi Tergeste,

I'd be happy to come by for a drink, amigo, especially now the child has come into this world... Many congrats to you and your family. :D

But it won't be for any time soon, for I have these exams to retake, Donnerwetter :evil:

Have a drink anyways, and think positive for me, ok?

Greetz,

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Postby Publius Dionysius Mus on Mon Sep 05, 2005 8:29 pm

Salve Menci!

Aulus Dionysius Mencius wrote:dude.... :?

Your post is of rather contradictory nature... sigh :wink: You say that you wouldn't put the label Roman music on it, and then you state that it's the closest you can get to Roman music.

Hence my :?: ... How do you know that????


Agreed, I should have added 'probably': "I would not put the label 'Roman music' on it, but is probably the closest one can get to roman music" (because of the reconstructed instruments...). But as you know, my friend, I am neither a musical critic nor musically talented...

Vale bene!
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Postby Aulus Dionysius Mencius on Mon Sep 05, 2005 9:04 pm

Publius Dionysius Mus wrote:
But as you know, my friend, I am neither a musical critic nor musically talented...


You bet I know :roll: Yes, I remember suffering your musical 'talent' We were all in utter :shock: before laughing our asses off... :lol:

One cannot be too talented, amice bon...
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Postby Anonymous on Mon Sep 19, 2005 7:58 pm

Salvete Omnes!
Interesting,I hadnt been aware there were any Roman Music out there.

I was just wondering,if true Roman music doesnt exist any longer,the style and music I mean,then what influenced Italian Music,and Romani?

I read somewhere that Greek music is kept alive through heritage groups..Since the Romans adopted many things from the Hellenes,coudnt we assume that the Romans did the same with musical styles?
So wouldnt the music been similar?
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Synaulia

Postby Cleopatra Aelia on Sun Dec 04, 2005 10:01 pm

Avete Amici,

Once one starts digging for a certain thing he/she finds more and more of it. I came now across the Italian group Synaulia which has released two CDs, one with the stress on wind instruments and the other on stringed instruments. Like all these groups they play on reconstructed instruments and have done a good research. The CDs are accompanied by a very detailed booklet about the instruments.

http://www.soundcenter.it/synauliaeng.htm

@Tergeste: Many thanks for the CD of Somnia Imperii, it's great stuff, too.
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