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Improvisation on an Ancient Greek Melody

2,741 views · Published 5 March 2012 · 3:05 · Indexed 28 September 2026

Channel: Michael Levy · 2012 · Music

An improvisation on Kithra-style lyre, based on "Hymn To The Muse" (c.130CE) by Mesomedes of Crete - track 6 from my album, "The Ancient Greek Lyre": http://bit.ly/bxO7Ra

This piece, preserved in an ancient Byzantine manuscript, is one of 4 surviving pieces of music by Mesomedes. Mesomedes of Crete was a Greek lyric poet and composer of the early 2nd century AD. More information can be found at:

http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Bios/Mesomedes.html

The translation of this ancient song (which mercifully, I am NOT going to attempt to sing!), are as follows:

'Sing for me, dear Muse, begin my tuneful strain; a breeze blow from your groves to stir my listless brain...Skillful Calliope, leader of the delightful Muses, and you, skillful priest of our rites, son of Leto, Paean of Delos, be at my side'. (translation by J. G. Landels)

 "Hymn To The Muse" is on the haunting ancient Greek Dorian Mode - the equivalent intervals as E-E on the white notes of the piano. This is not to be confused with the misnamed Medieval "Dorian" mode we know today, which is D-D - due to a major mix up in the Middle Ages, some medieval scholar (presumably sloshed on Mead!), went and gave all the ancient Greek modes the wrong Greek names...& we are stuck with this misnamed musicological mayhem to this very day!

For all details of my "Musical Adventures in Time Travel", please visit:

http://www.ancientlyre.com

Many thanks for watching!

Improvisation on an Ancient Greek Melody

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