Actual Greek/Roman/Egyptian/Ancient World music

[Dykstrav]

I've been really impressed with some of the suggestions for Evenglare's thread on Celtic music--I'd never heard of most of these artists and I'm certainly going to expand my collection of albums nows.

So anyway, my own homebrew setting is more ancient world than Tolkienesque/generic medieval/Western Europe. Any suggestions for good music (again, not movie soundtracks) for a setting that blends Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and ancient near east influences?

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I dunno how accurate it is, but you could see about what music they used in Rome, they had some that weren't just there but actually music from the scene.

 

[knightofround]

Yeah unlike celtic/medieval music, there isn't as much demand for roman/greek stuff. The only really good find that I know of is E.S.Posthumus.

I used the OSTs from the Rome TV-series and Gladiator for roman settings, and classical music for greek--Spartans were Wagner.

Eastern-flavored music is a different story. Check out Azam Ali and Vas. I'm not a big fan of Enya but she does have some good middle-eastern stuff. So does Dean Evenson, but his stuff has more of a far-eastern tint to it. Deep Forest has some great tracks for non-arabaic near-eastern music.

 

[Dykstrav]

Yeah unlike celtic/medieval music, there isn't as much demand for roman/greek stuff.

Unfortunately true, and I sorta knew this going in. But I figured what the hell, I might be surprised, right?

I will check out Rome though.

 

[Greylock]

Real Greek music is pretty darned hard on modern ears. Imagine a aficionado of chamber music from 1820 discovering modern death metal. Now, reverse the times.... The classic Greeks weren't into pan flutes and such - they believed in waking you UP.

hth

 

[Thunderfoot]

As someone who had to study Music History (ughh) Greylock is right on the button. Ancient Greek and Roman music was monophonic (meaning only one tone played at any one time - even if there were multiple instruments or voices, they played/sang the same notes. Monophony was considered the ONLY form of music and harmony or multiple instrumentation just wasn't allowed.

Even percussion, which by modern usage strikes the backbeat or the rhythm and sets the overall tempo, played in unison with the other instruments. The modern concept of an orchestral piece, such as those used for movies to set the 'ancient mood', are just plain wrong.

Also, the instruments they used were less than appealing, especially to modern ears. The lyra is NOT a harp and the cithara (pronounced gitarah) is NOT a guitar. They all have sound boxes and strings and you pluck them, but that's where the similarity ends. The tonality of the ancient instruments is shrill and the vibrato is unnerving. Also the aulos (a two headed flute like instrument) sounds something like strangling a snake while it's head is stuck in a trumpet. (think of a louder version of blowing on a blade of grass - if you've ever done that)

For examples go here and click on the melodies - As you can tell, the MIDI is not helping, but the single note structure should be pretty grating to modern ears. I know I screamed internally every time I had to listen to it with the REAL instruments, trust me, they don't make it sound any better.

 

[Greylock]

See if you can pick this album up, since it appears to still be in print. I used this in several theater pieces I wrote back when I was in college in the 80s, mainly just to shock the living daylights out of people. Which was what most of my theater did. But this will literally knock you back if you have the volume too high the first time you hear it:

Ancient Greek Music - CD - Paniagua / Atrium Musicae De Madrid

It recreates ancient Greek music from fragments of musical notations left behind in stone and clay.

 

[mhacdebhandia]

I think that album is the same as this one on Amazon:

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Musique-de-la-Grece-Antique/dp/B00004TVG7/]Amazon.com: Musique de la Grece Antique: Greek Anonymous, Gregorio Paniagua, Madrid Atrium Musicae: Music[/ame]

which has samples, and you can buy MP3s.

Sounds pretty interesting to me. Of course, the first album I bought as MP3s from Amazon was Tang Dynasty Chinese music.

 

[Jeremy757]

strangling a snake while it's head is stuck in a trumpet.

Strangely this happened to me once at band camp.

 

[Dykstrav]

Thanks for the album leads! It's exactly the sort of thing I was looking for.

I don't know as I'd play this stuff at the next party I throw, but it's definitely evocative and doesn't remind me of Hollywood movies. I get sick and tired of people suggesting the 300 soundtrack for a Greek-style setting. This Musique de la Grece Antique is really cool--it'll be nice to have something exotic to play for the temples and agora of the setting.

 

[Greylock]

I think that album is the same as this one on Amazon:

Amazon.com: Musique de la Grece Antique: Greek Anonymous, Gregorio Paniagua, Madrid Atrium Musicae: Music

Yep. Same album. Should've checked there first.

Thanks for the album leads! It's exactly the sort of thing I was looking for.

I don't know as I'd play this stuff at the next party I throw, but it's definitely evocative and doesn't remind me of Hollywood movies. I get sick and tired of people suggesting the 300 soundtrack for a Greek-style setting. This Musique de la Grece Antique is really cool--it'll be nice to have something exotic to play for the temples and agora of the setting.

You are welcome! But when you get it, make sure you watch the volume, as there are parts where you can blow out your speakers. Seriously. [Unless they've edited the album in the last 20 years.]

 

[johnmarron]

My limited experience with actual ancient music confirms Greylock's description. I picked up an album called [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Synaulia-Music-Ancient-Rome-Instruments/dp/B00000DMKM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1222448119&sr=8-4"]Synaulia[/ame] of ancient Roman music for a game set in Rome, and it is practically impossible to sit through.

For my own ancient games I use the Rome and Gladiator soundtracks, along with sort of Dead Can Dance knock-off groups (and I say that with much affection) like [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Feast-Silence-Vas/dp/B00020HDJO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1222448301&sr=1-1"]Vas[/ame], [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Serpent-Rouge-Arcana/dp/B0009PLMCG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1222448325&sr=1-2"]Arcana[/ame], [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Valleys-Stellamara/dp/B000AE8G8Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1222448407&sr=1-1"]Stellamara[/ame], [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Ishati-Rajna/dp/B00005BGUE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1222448483&sr=1-1"]Rajna[/ame], and [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Pool-Lisa-Gerrard/dp/B000002MYI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1222448511&sr=1-1"]Lisa Gerard[/ame] solo albums.

John

 

[Minicol]

I have a few suggestions :

Synaulia - an italian group trying to revive the roman music.
There's a group called ensemble Kerylos as well which does ancient greek music.

Good to see a fellow DM-bard.

If you want to go to for the mystery/mystic music, however, nothings beats Dead can dance for me.

Are you interested in medieval music ? There is plenty more to choose from there.

DAMN : john marron ninjaed me

 

[Inferno!]

For middle eastern/biblical flavor, Peter Gabriel's [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Passion/dp/B000W1W8X4/ref=sr_f3_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1222456681&sr=103-1"]Passion[/ame] is very good. It is a soundtrack (for the Last Temptation of Christ), but the movie is 20 years old and doesn't seem to have been overdone like gladiator, 300, etc.

BTW, if you are familiar with Peter Gabriel's other work, this is completely different. Its nearly all instrumental with traditional middle eastern instruments and occasional singing on a few tracks.

 

[Kishin]

Thunderfoot nailed it pretty well, as did a couple other posters. Real Ancient World music is very grating on the modern ear, as we're accustomed to an entirely different structure and method of tonal organization. The stuff Thunderfoot linked actually gives me a headache after awhile, and you're talking to a guy who used to write essays in college while listening to Emperor's In the Nightside Eclipse.

Also, be aware in your search for authentic stuff that a lot of transcriptions and reproductions of these ancient melodies will sound very little they actually *would* have sounded, as they are extrapolated from relativistic forms of notation that are very abstract in comparison to standard.

That said, the Musique de la Grece Antique CD linked in the thread is actually fairly listenable.