《西方文明中的音乐》摘抄

《西方文明中音乐》摘抄

In its two great periods, Greek genius created two independent, individually complete bodies of music. These it cultivated for centuries and imparted to posterity with characteristic expansive and propagative power. These two great periods are usually designated by the terms “ancient Greek music,” which we

shall call simply Greek music, and “medieval” or “Byzantine music.” The unique achievement of Greek genius in the history of music can be realized only if we consider the remarkably enduring influence of both periods.

希腊天才在两个伟大的时期中，创造了两种各自独立而完整的音乐体系。经过长达数世纪之久的耕耘，对后世产生了广泛而深远的影响。通常称这两种音乐体系为“古希腊音乐”（简称为“希腊音乐”）和“拜占庭音乐”（或“中古音乐”）。只有考察了这两个时期音乐的持续影响，才能意识到希腊天才独一无二的成就。

《西方文明中的音乐》摘抄

In our modern Western civilization we are accustomed to speaking of musical art in a dual sense; we deal with popular or folk music and with “art” music. There is not enough material at our disposal to enable us to make this distinction in Greek music. Our sources mention various songs that were sung at rural

festivals or which facilitated rhythmical work of all sorts, like threshing or rowing; there are even some texts which indicate by their rhythmic quality that they were originally sung, though the melodies are unknown.

现代西方文明中，谈论音乐艺术习惯上有双重含义：其一是流行音乐或民间音乐；其二是“艺术”音乐。没有足够的材料允许我们可在希腊音乐中做出同样的划分。现存的资料中提及各种歌曲，有的在农村集市上演唱，有的用于各类具有节奏型的工作，例如打谷和划船；甚至有些歌词仅从节奏性质上就表明，它原来是用于歌唱的，虽然旋律现已不为人所知。

《西方文明中的音乐》摘抄

The Greeks were constantly engaged in the intensification and improvement of their art. Music was no exception to this rule. They were keenly interested in its technical and theoretical possibilities and accorded recognition to the inventors and perpetuators in this domain. Their historians and philosophers give an account of the origins of Greek music according to their own conceptions. These conceptions are often similar to our own, with the difference that with our strong sense for the historical we are apt to center our attention around facts, whereas they are interested in persons and personalities. The long list of mythical musicians mentioned in their writings carries the beginning of Greek music back into mythological times.

希腊人坚持不懈地对艺术进行提炼加工，音乐也不例外。他们着迷于音乐记忆和理论的各种可能性，承认和尊崇这一领域中的发明家和不朽人物。他们的历史学家和哲学家依照自己的观念对希腊音乐的起源进行解释。这些观念往往与我们的观念相似，只不过我们具有更强烈的历史感。我们倾向于将注意力集中在事实周围，而他们更关心人物和个性。他们的著述中提及众多神话中的音乐家，于是希腊音乐的起源被回溯神话时代。 

《西方文明中的音乐》摘抄

Music is in all languages acknowledged, by its very name, to be a muse-inspired, muse-descended art. The Greek muses, later the guardians of all branches of art, were at first only three in number. Two of them embodied ideas characteristic of every art, study and memory; the third bore the name Song. Their first dwelling place was the Pierian plains at the foot of Mount Olympus, where they moved to Mount Helicon. The seat of the Apollo cult was the island of Delos and subsequently Delphi, in the shadow of Mount Parnassus. The myths suggested the controus of the primeval musical life of the Greek mainland, untouched by alien influences. 

所有西方语言中，“音乐”一词都暗示该艺术得自缪斯，源自缪斯。希腊的缪斯神--后来成为所有艺术门类的保护神--开始时只有三位。其中两位提现所有艺术的共同特点：学习和记忆；而第三位的名字是“歌”。他们起先居住在奥林匹斯山脚下的比埃里亚平原，后迁往赫利孔山。阿波罗崇拜的地点起先是在得洛斯岛，后移至特尔斐城，处在帕纳塞斯山的庇荫之下。这些神话勾勒出希腊大陆音乐生活最初的轮廓，这时的音乐未受到外来的影响。

《西方文明中的音乐》摘抄

Greek musical practice centers around the lyre in its two main forms, the lyre proper, and its larger variety, the cithara. The lyre consisted of a hollow body, or sound chest, from which protruded two arms curved both outward and forward. These arms were connected near the top by a crossbar or yoke. Another crossbar, on the sound chest, formed a bridge to convey the vibrations of the strings to it. The cithara was similarly constructed, but was larger and more sonorous.

希腊的音乐实践以里尔琴为中心。里尔琴有两种主要形态：常规的里尔琴以及它的大型变体基撒拉琴。里尔琴有一个空心琴体，即共鸣箱，从中伸出两支琴臂，向上弯曲，在靠近顶部之处用横轭架相连。共鸣箱上有另一条横轭架，构成琴马，传递缚在其上的琴弦的震动。基撒拉琴在结构上与之类似，只是体积更大，音响更响。

爱因斯坦说：“对于巴赫只有聆听，演奏，热爱，尊敬，并且不说一句话。