“Rhetoric of the Sophists” – The Tortoise Shell Lyre of Ancient Greece

 

Channel: Michael Levy
Duration: 4:34
Description: A live performance on replica ancient Greek tortoise shell lyre, of a spontaneous improvisation in the intensively introspective ancient Greek Dorian Mode, “Rhetoric of the Sophists”.
This latest series of videos is inspired by ancient Greek Philosophy. The improvisation features a repetitive and reoccurring motif, to represent the concept of an unyielding dogmatic view, with decorative runs to imitate the rhetorical arguments so typical of the Sophists, which were used to support their often dogmatic views…
According to Plato in “The Republic”, the ancient Greek Dorian Mode (equivalent intervals as E-E on the white notes of the piano and misnamed the “Phrygian” mode in the mixed up Middle Ages!) was the only mode which conveyed true moral worth and was the most ‘manly’ of the ancient musical modes.
The awesomely authentic replica ancient Greek tortoise shell lyre I am playing, was hand-made in modern Greece by Luthieros MusicInstruments – using only locally sourced goats horns and tortoise shells (from tortoises which have died of natural causes!) from near their village near the centre of ancient Macedonia!
These beautiful “Kylix Lyres of Pan” range of replica ancient Greek tortoise shell lyres are literally THE closet experience any very lucky musician can have, to taking the reconstructed Elgin Lyre (circa 400 BCE) from its display cabinet at the British Museum…and PLAYING it!
Published: June 29, 2015 11:15 pm

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