Abstract · The Heterophonic Practice in the Accompaniment of Song: A Reading of Pl., Leg., 7, 812... more Abstract · The Heterophonic Practice in the Accompaniment of Song: A Reading of Pl., Leg., 7, 812d-e · This article offers a reading of the remarkable passage from Plato’s Laws which contains the only occurrence of the word ἑτεροφωνία in a musical context and is the most detailed account known to us of ancient instrumental accompaniment (namely on the lyre) to songs. The terms used by Plato for describing the practical aspects of heterophony are discussed in the light of the evidence we can gather from other sources (e.g., the pseudo-Aristotelian Problems) and the achievements of modern musicological and ethno-musicological research. The case is made that Plato’s rejection of heterophony has less to do with ethical and political reasons than with the need to ensure that young pupils do not face overwhelming difficulties in the early stages of their musical education.
From the earliest stages of Greek thought, sound was thought to originate as the result of an imp... more From the earliest stages of Greek thought, sound was thought to originate as the result of an impact between two objects. At first it was believed that the swiftness and force of the impact affected both volume and pitch; then it became clear that these were two different parameters. Pitch, in particular, was connected either to quantitative factors, such as the speed of the movement or the number of subsequent impacts, or to qualitative ones, like the idiotes (“peculiarity”) theorized by Theophrastus. The least investigated parameter of sound is timbre, which was usually attributed to the physical characteristics of the source.
Dottorato di ricerca in Scienze letterarie, retorica e tecnica dell'interpretazione, Ciclo XX... more Dottorato di ricerca in Scienze letterarie, retorica e tecnica dell'interpretazione, Ciclo XXVI, a.a. 2013-2014
Dottorato di ricerca in Scienze letterarie, retorica e tecnica dell'interpretazione, Ciclo XX... more Dottorato di ricerca in Scienze letterarie, retorica e tecnica dell'interpretazione, Ciclo XXVI, a.a. 2013-2014
This contribution is meant to shed light on how ancient Greek music theorists structure argumenta... more This contribution is meant to shed light on how ancient Greek music theorists structure argumentations and address their readership in order to be understandable, effective and persuasive. On the one hand, some of the most important treatises, e.g. Ptolemy’s Harmonics (with Porphyry’s Commentary) and what remains of Archytas’ and Theophrastus’ works, are taken as case studies; on the other hand, the paper deals with some argumentative patterns recurring in harmonics demonstrations, especially with reference to the usage of everyday life experience as evidence supporting acoustic and harmonic theories.
Where does musical beauty come from? Can it be comprehended into rules or formulae? Since music w... more Where does musical beauty come from? Can it be comprehended into rules or formulae? Since music was ubiquitous in the life of the ancient Greeks, it is no surprise that they posed these questions, thus triggering one of the most fascinating debates in their intellectual history.
Abstract · The Heterophonic Practice in the Accompaniment of Song: A Reading of Pl., Leg., 7, 812... more Abstract · The Heterophonic Practice in the Accompaniment of Song: A Reading of Pl., Leg., 7, 812d-e · This article offers a reading of the remarkable passage from Plato’s Laws which contains the only occurrence of the word ἑτεροφωνία in a musical context and is the most detailed account known to us of ancient instrumental accompaniment (namely on the lyre) to songs. The terms used by Plato for describing the practical aspects of heterophony are discussed in the light of the evidence we can gather from other sources (e.g., the pseudo-Aristotelian Problems) and the achievements of modern musicological and ethno-musicological research. The case is made that Plato’s rejection of heterophony has less to do with ethical and political reasons than with the need to ensure that young pupils do not face overwhelming difficulties in the early stages of their musical education.
From the earliest stages of Greek thought, sound was thought to originate as the result of an imp... more From the earliest stages of Greek thought, sound was thought to originate as the result of an impact between two objects. At first it was believed that the swiftness and force of the impact affected both volume and pitch; then it became clear that these were two different parameters. Pitch, in particular, was connected either to quantitative factors, such as the speed of the movement or the number of subsequent impacts, or to qualitative ones, like the idiotes (“peculiarity”) theorized by Theophrastus. The least investigated parameter of sound is timbre, which was usually attributed to the physical characteristics of the source.
Dottorato di ricerca in Scienze letterarie, retorica e tecnica dell'interpretazione, Ciclo XX... more Dottorato di ricerca in Scienze letterarie, retorica e tecnica dell'interpretazione, Ciclo XXVI, a.a. 2013-2014
Dottorato di ricerca in Scienze letterarie, retorica e tecnica dell'interpretazione, Ciclo XX... more Dottorato di ricerca in Scienze letterarie, retorica e tecnica dell'interpretazione, Ciclo XXVI, a.a. 2013-2014
This contribution is meant to shed light on how ancient Greek music theorists structure argumenta... more This contribution is meant to shed light on how ancient Greek music theorists structure argumentations and address their readership in order to be understandable, effective and persuasive. On the one hand, some of the most important treatises, e.g. Ptolemy’s Harmonics (with Porphyry’s Commentary) and what remains of Archytas’ and Theophrastus’ works, are taken as case studies; on the other hand, the paper deals with some argumentative patterns recurring in harmonics demonstrations, especially with reference to the usage of everyday life experience as evidence supporting acoustic and harmonic theories.
Where does musical beauty come from? Can it be comprehended into rules or formulae? Since music w... more Where does musical beauty come from? Can it be comprehended into rules or formulae? Since music was ubiquitous in the life of the ancient Greeks, it is no surprise that they posed these questions, thus triggering one of the most fascinating debates in their intellectual history.
perché abbiamo ancora bisogno degli antichi per essere cool. * Quando il Prof. Macris mi ha chies... more perché abbiamo ancora bisogno degli antichi per essere cool. * Quando il Prof. Macris mi ha chiesto di dire qualcosa sull'attualità e l'utilità degli studi classici, il primo istinto è stato quello di rifiutare. Si tratta di un tema su cui è altissimo il pericolo di cadere nei luoghi comuni e nelle banalità; la difesa degli studi classici sta quasi diventando un nuovo genere letterario in cui si sono esercitati, per non citare che gli esempi più eccelsi, Martha Nussbaum con il suo Not for Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities (2010) e il nostro Nuccio Ordine con il suo L'Utilità dell'Inutile (Bompiani, 2013, un bestseller tradotto in una ventina di lingue); ed è chiaro che io non avevo e non ho la presunzione di aggiungere nulla a quanto già detto da intellettuali di quel calibro. Tanto più che io in genere non mi occupo di temi così ampi e generali, ma sono piuttosto una "formica". Faccio il filologo, sono uno di quelli che impiegano un paio di settimane per decidere se al v. 354 si debba leggere δὲ oppure γε e poi magari ci scrivo sopra un articolo; uno di quelli che danno ai testi antichi una forma tale da poterli poi inserire nei libri scolastici o nelle edizioni per il grande pubblico. Per di più, mi occupo prevalentemente di testi di natura tecnica o scientifica, ossia di opere che molto difficilmente finiranno nei manuali scolastici. Un lavoro che mi appassiona e che ho scelto di fare, ma che certamente non fa di me un intellettuale da palcoscenico, una star la cui opinione abbia un peso particolare nel dibattito culturale. Ancora più forte era la tentazione di marcare visita perché sapevo che avrei parlato prevalentemente ad amici e colleghi; ossia a un uditorio rispetto il quale la mia competenza nella materia trattata non è in alcun modo speciale o superiore. Se si fosse parlato di qualche argomento filologico o di qualche questione di lana caprina, come quelle di cui mi diletto usualmente, avrei anche potuto nutrire la speranza di dire qualcosa di nuovo per qualcuno; ma così sono certo che stasera molti di quelli che sono seduti dall'altra parte potrebbero senz'altro fare come e anche meglio di me. Tuttavia alla fine mi sono deciso a cedere agli haud mollia iussa del prof. Macris sia per l'amicizia che mi lega a lui e agli amici della Delegazione messinese dell'AICC che organizza il Peloritanum, sia perché per niente al mondo mi sarei perso l'occasione di essere qui a parlare ai vincitori del Certamen e ai loro insegnanti, molti dei quali * Testo della relazione tenuta il 24 Marzo 2015 nell'Aula Magna del Liceo Classico "F. Maurolico" di Messina, su invito del Prof. Daniele Macris, Presidente della Delegazione messinese "P. Sgroj" dell'AICC, in occasione della premiazione dei vincitori del Certamen Peloritanum.
Greece as an intercultural pole of musical thought and creativity crossroads aristotle university... more Greece as an intercultural pole of musical thought and creativity crossroads aristotle university of thessaloniki -faculty of fine arts school of music studies ims regional association for the study of music of the balkans International Musicological Conference
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Books by Massimo Raffa
Papers by Massimo Raffa
most detailed account known to us of ancient instrumental accompaniment (namely on the lyre) to songs. The terms used by Plato for describing the practical aspects of heterophony are discussed in the light of the evidence we can gather from other sources (e.g., the pseudo-Aristotelian Problems) and the achievements of modern musicological
and ethno-musicological research. The case is made that Plato’s rejection of heterophony has less to do with ethical and political reasons than with the need to ensure that young pupils do not face overwhelming difficulties in the early stages of their musical education.
most detailed account known to us of ancient instrumental accompaniment (namely on the lyre) to songs. The terms used by Plato for describing the practical aspects of heterophony are discussed in the light of the evidence we can gather from other sources (e.g., the pseudo-Aristotelian Problems) and the achievements of modern musicological
and ethno-musicological research. The case is made that Plato’s rejection of heterophony has less to do with ethical and political reasons than with the need to ensure that young pupils do not face overwhelming difficulties in the early stages of their musical education.