B14 The true story of Western music
Any archaeological or cultural-historical find may confirm the previous doctrine or open up new perspectives, as it gives rise to further questions. Therefore, scientific work - especially in the field of research - always has something to do with the willingness to change the own point of view, because without, research would have no sense.
Recently, such a find - a representation of Trinity on a keyboard instrument - led to the question of whether the Western sound system has a Christian character or not. The author was obliged to treat the question entirely open, because it was important to avoid any influence of ideological positions.
Aulus Gellius, who lived in the 2nd century AD, informs us that the Romans consistently used Greek terms in musical matters because the Latin language had no equivalents for them. Therefore, the interval names corresponding to a numbering system (prime, second, third ...) appear only from Censorinus, i.g., from the 3rd century onwards and immediately raises the question, why a translation was made, if the traditional method worked for centuries, why at this time and why at all.
Against this background, it is sufficient to compare the sound system used by the Greeks with the post-Christian-Roman, in order to gain insight into any possible changes from the difference, and in fact there are striking differences: Although Aristoxenos defined the term interval as the distance between two unequal tones, the prim was introduced with the distance zero. So there are as many distances as there are sounds. But why do musicians need extra intervals? There work material are sounds!
By way of illustration, it makes sense to use the comparison with 8 parked cars: parked in a row next to each other there are 7 distances. An eighth gap occurs only when the carriages are parked in a circle. Seen in this way, the theory of harmony is based on a point of view that deals with an arrangement of the tones in a circle, and this long before the introduction of the circle of fifths!
At the same time the term "diapason" (literally: by all notes) was replaced by the term "octave", although Euclid had already established that 6 whole-tone steps are a little bit larger than a "diapason". But 6 are not more than 8! Even the illogic that an octave consists of five whole-tone steps and two semitones, although 5 whole and two-half result in 6 - is due to this "translation mode".
If we consider both together, the prim and the octave, a theological sense becomes recognizable, because both are the epitome of consonance, whereby it should be noted that the prim is an idiosyncratic construction, because in principle everything that one compares to oneself is related to one another identical. In this respect, the primordial consonance is not a musical phenomenon at all, but a theological construct that has since the been put to the beginning of the intervals.
The octave owes its name to two references to the Scriptures: on the one hand there is the sanctification of the temple on the first and on the eighth day (2 Chronicles 29:17) - evidently the pagan clay material was first subjected to purification; the 8 blessings of the Sermon on the Mount unmistakable. The 1 and the 8 are now related to the consonance as well as the A and the Ω - and the circular representation in connection with the words of the Messiah: "I am the beginning and the end." Was it really just one precise translation of the Greek terms into the Latin language, such references would not be observed.
Everything else results as a consequence. Interval terms such as: minor second and major third (literally, a "small two" and a "big three") were required to maintain the octave count, otherwise the symbolic construction would collapse.
The additional chromatic tones led to a new theological interpretation: Now an octave consists of 13 keys, but only 12 tone designations in analogy to the 13 participants on the last supper minus Judas, the traitor. The five chromatic keys stand for the 5 wounds, the 8 diatonic keys for the 8 bliss and thus for salvation. In short, the keyboard tells of treachery, death and resurrection.
As we know, musicians demanded more tones within an octave. It could only come to the discovery of equal temperament mood, because one held to the existing key division despite limited musical usefulness. Therefore, a scholar dispute over several hundred years developed in ordert o find the appropriate temperament. Classical and romantic piano music would be unthinkable without the conservative adherence to the existing division of keys.
From all this it follows that, contrary to previous doctrine, the western tone system does not have to be described as Greek but as Christian-Roman. Analogies to other disciplines are not accidental but deliberately implemented parts of the Catholic, i.g. all-encompassing worldview. These elements have been important components of European culture for centuries and have been enforced with great power.
By excluding the context, musicology has overlooked these important relationships. The find thus fundamentally changes the self-image and identity of this scientific discipline, whereby we have not yet spoken of the ethical content of the Western harmony theory. In the 7 diatonic steps on the way to God - today referred to as root tones - the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit were seen: fear of God, piety, charity, bravery, mercy, love of the enemy and wisdom. The music is therefore a parable for harmony among the people. ©
2018 Aurelius Belz