Channel: Michael Levy
Duration: 3:24
Description: “Hymn to Helios” – a spontaneous improvisation for a stunning replica ancient Greek kithara; the large wooden lyre favoured by the professional musicians of ancient Greece; handmade in modern Greece by Luthieros: http://en.luthieros.com/product/cithara-of-the-golden-age-ancient-greek-cithara-9-strings-top-quality-handcrafted-musical-instrument Helios was the ancient Greek god of the sun – whilst playing this improvisation, the suns rays magically cast their beams down upon me, almost as if demonstrating the approval Helios himself! This improvisation hopefully demonstrates the guitar-like quality of tone – indeed, our modern word ‘guitar’ is directly derived from the original Greek word ‘kithara’. Also, some 2500 years before the invention of the ‘whammy bar’ of the modern electric guitar, the ancient Greeks had already invented the incredibly advanced vibrato mechanism seen on this modern reconstruction – the cross-bar (yoke) and the attached strings are capable of lateral movement, thanks to the fact that the yoke is floating above curled wooden springs and set in a hinge; whenever light lateral movement is made on either of the vertical levers rising from the yoke or the discs at each end of the yoke, lateral movement to the yoke and springs causes a vibrato effect on to the vibrating strings: http://ancientlyre.com/the_kithara_of_ancient_greece__rome/ I also demonstrate the rhythmic potential of the kithara during performance, by also using the larger carved replica ancient Greek plectrum as a baton top beat rhythm on the kithara itself – in much the same way that creative acoustic guitarists beat rhythm by hitting the soundboard of their guitars whilst they play.
Published: June 12, 2016 9:30 pm