30393 - Greek Metrics and Music (1) (2nd cycle)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student knows in detail the Greek music, focusing mainly literary and historical aspects, without neglecting the theoretical referents and technical data of early music.

Course contents

Special focus course ('corso monografico')

a) Timotheus' Persae and the Greek citharoedic tradition.


Core course ('parte istituzionale')

b) General rudiments of metric and rhythmic.

Lectures Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 16-18, Aula Mansarda (Mon., Tue.) and Auletta Seminari (Wed.) (22.11.2010-12.1.2011).

Links: http://www2.classics.unibo.it/Organico/profili/neri.html

Readings/Bibliography

a) For Timotheus' Persae the reference edition is J. Hordern, The Fragments of Timotheus of Miletus, New York 2002, with large commentary. Also useful the commentary by T.H. Janssen, Timotheus. Persae. A commentary, Amsterdam 1989. For an italian translation see G. Paduano, Una versione poetica dei Persiani di Timoteo, in R. Pretagostini (ed.), Tradizione e innovazione nella cultura greca da Omero all'età ellenistica. «Scritti in onore di Bruno Gentili», Roma 1993, II 531-536. On Timotheus is required  E. Csapo-P. Wilson, Timotheus the new musician, in F. Budelmann (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Greek Lyric, Cambridge 2009, 277-293.

 

b) I. For the fundamental notions of Greek metrics one of the following handbooks should be consulted: M.C. Martinelli, Gli strumenti del poeta. Elementi di metrica greca, Bologna, 19972; B. Gentili-L. Lomiento, Metrica e ritmica. Storia delle forme poetiche nella Grecia antica, Milano 2003. A useful survey of lyric verses is L. Battezzato, The Metre and Music of Greek Lyric, in F. Budelmann (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Greek Lyric, Cambridge 2009, 130-146. II. For the relationship between poetic text and melody of music the following essay is required: B. Gentili, Metro e ritmo nella dottrina degli antichi e nella prassi della «performance», in Id.-R. Pretagostini, La musica in Grecia, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1988, pp. 5-16. III. For ancient Greek music one of the following handbooks should be consulted: G. Comotti, La musica nella cultura greca e romana, Torino, EDT, 1991; M.L. West, Ancient Greek Music, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1992 (chapt. V-VII). The texts with musical notes that will be discussed during the lectures are to be found in E. Pöhlmann-M.L. West, Documents of Ancient Greek Music: The Extant Melodies and Fragments, ed. and transcr. with comm., Oxford, Clarendon Press, 2001.

Teaching methods

After some introductory lectures by the teacher and by Dr. Ercoles the sessions will have a seminar-like form and meant to be moments of real common research, with the familiarisation and the use of the main philological tools (traditional and data processing).
All the material handed out in the lectures will be available afterwards on line at http://www2.classics.unibo.it/Organico/PDocenti/homeneri.htm

Assessment methods

A first assessment will be carried out to begin with in the seminars, where the students will be able auto-assess their learning.
The viva voce examination consists of a conversation in which the teachers, through a series of questions, will test the theoretical knowledge and the theoretical-practical methodologies as explained in the lectures.

Teaching tools

PC, video projector, overhead projector, photocopied hand-outs.

Links to further information

http://www2.classics.unibo.it/Organico/profili/neri.html

Office hours

See the website of Camillo Neri