ABSTRACT
Introduction: A Case Study
I make the argument that if the evolutionary traits described in this book related to the roots of music in theatre are accurate, then we should find examples of them in all forms of theatre that independently emerged from divergent civilizations. We will have to leave the investigation of such a large subject for future research and consideration, but it would help to consider the roots of music in theatre in at least one “case study.” Since it has been so influential in Western theatre, we choose the emergence of what Brockett refers to as the first “autonomous” theatre, that of ancient Greece.
We discuss the migration of humans to Greece as reflected in the development of their own unique language, the proto-Greek language somewhere in the third millennium bce, and the earliest written record we have of the early history of Greece as contained in the writings of Homer and Hesiod, even as we consider the assistance provided by music to the oral tradition that also predominated.
The Origins of Greek Music: Music = Time Manipulated
We consider the origins of music in the mythology of Hesiod, when Zeus lay with Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory, resulting in the birth of the nine Muses. We note the divine origin of music, and include Plato’s description of its unique power to influence humans like the stone of Heraclea (a magnet). We consider specific aspects of the mythological view of music that indicate an awareness by early Greeks of fundamental biological characteristics of music.
The Development of Greek Song: Song = Music + Idea
We follow the early development of Greece through the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations and the influence they had on music and song. We see song develop as a stylization of geographical dialects, and discussed the two most prominent examples of this development, Homer and Hesiod. We also trace the development of musical instruments, particularly the lyre, as it adapted to the spread of songs performed in styles morphed from geographical dialects.
Music as Math Made Audible: The Greeks Revisit Consonance and Dissonance
We move on to consider the cult of Pythagoras, and his unique views on the nature of music, and its relation to the cosmos, thus carrying on the close connection between music and spirituality we have witnessed throughout the evolution of our species.
The First Autocratic Theatre: Theatre = Song + Mimesis
We trace the development of Greek theatre directly from two major song forms, the dithyramb and phallic song. We discuss the growing suspicions of the Greek government to the undeniable powers of music, and the development of major controversies over the ethos of music. This suspicion perhaps even leads to government disruption of the musical tradition of Greek theatre, similar to the inadvertent separation of sound and theatre we discussed in Chapter 1. We note that, with the breaking of the strong ties between music and theatre also came the end of the great period of Greek plays as we know them today.
Plato and His World
Plato really distrusted the unique power that music had over human beings and thought the state should control it. Nevertheless, he felt that music education was one of only two types of education “heroes” required. Plato considered music and idea inseparable, although he considered music to consist of the elements of music such as color, rhythm and line just as we have considered them. At the core of Plato’s belief system, was the idea that the mimesis of music had a profound impact on an individual’s ethos. We attempt to examine this concept in the shadow of the concepts articulated earlier in this book, and describe its application to creating sound scores for theatre.
Aristotle’s Theatre
Aristotle famously confirmed that theatre (tragedy and comedy) did indeed arise out of music. We do point out however, that he was operating something “after the fact” of the great era of classic Greek theatre. We consider the evidence that supports Aristotle’s claim. We again find confirmation of the division between music and idea in his “Rhetoric,” noting that Aristotle was also somewhat suspicious of the power of music to influence ideas. We discuss how this division of music and language manifested itself in Aristotle’s writing on theatre, and compare Aristotle’s writing on structure to what we have learned about the how music works to effect structure in a play. Finally, we consider Aristotle’s famous description of catharsis as an important end to the purpose of theatre, and reflect on the neurological processes that may be related to it.
Conclusion of the Conclusion
In the Greek theatre, we find substantial support for our argument that the roots of theatre lie in music, and discover a surprising number of empirical observations, practices and critical writings that embody substantial key concepts we have identified throughout this book related to the biological and evolutionary characteristics of the human species in our unique perception of time.
