Greek and Roman Music

Recordings
Books
Instruments
Pagan Music Sources

Recordings

Music of Ancient Greece by Christodoulos Halaris
Music of the Ancient Greeks by De Organographia
Sappho de Mytilene by Angelique Ionatos and Nena Venetsanou
Earth, Sun and Moon: The Voyage of the Black Madonna

Music of Ancient Greece by Christodoulos Halaris

Music of Ancient Greece by Christodoulos Halaris. Includes Pindar's First Pythionic Hymn, a chorus from Euripedes' Orestes, a chant to Apollo, and a hymn to the Holy Trinity (based on ancient Greek musical theory). Includes 80 pp. booklet. $18.95. Available from Classics, P.O. Box 64502, St. Paul, MN 55164-0502; 1-800-949-9999, and no doubt other vendors. You might also contact the producer, Orata Ltd., Export Dept.: CBC, Athanassiou Diakou 8, 152 37 Filothei (Athens) GREECE; Tel (1)6813168 - Telex 218344 IBS GR, Fax (1)7249508.

Music of the Ancient Greeks by De Organographia

Music of the Ancient Greeks by De Organographia (Gayle Neuman, Philip Neuman, William Gavin). "Ancient Greek music from 500 BC to 300 AD performed on voice and copies of ancient Greek instruments including kithara, lyra, aulos, syrinx, seistron, tympanon, pandoura, trichordon, photinx, salpinx, kymbala, and others." $15 + $2 shipping. Send check payable to "Gayle Neuman" to

Music of the Ancient Greeks CD
De Organographia / Gayle & Philip Neuman / Pandourion Records
17850 S. Edgewood St.
Oregon City, OR 97045

You can contact Philip Neuman by email at neuman@up.edu.

Also available from De Organographia, Music of the Ancient Sumerians, Egyptians and Greeks, comprising 24 tracks.

Sappho de Mytilene by Angelique Ionatos and Nena Venetsanou

Sappho de Mytilene by Angelique Ionatos and Nena Venetsanou. Poems of Sappho sung in ancient and modern Greek by two female vocalists. The music is composed by Ionatos, and sounds very Greek (using both ancient and modern instruments). Modern Greek versions are by Nobel laureate Odysseus Elytis. $18.98 from Ladyslipper.

Earth, Sun and Moon: The Voyage of the Black Madonna

Earth, Sun and Moon: The Voyage of the Black Madonna is a Southern Italian folk opera, composed by John La Barbera to lyrics by Alessandra Belloni and Dario Bollini. A wonderfully energetic, very Pagan piece of music. (Very true to the medieval Paganism and the legends of Virgil the Magician.)

Virgil, a poet and healer, is searching for the knowledge to save the world from self-destruction. He meets the Sibilla Cumana [sic], the prophetess of the Underworld, who forsees the destruction of the Earth and the return to a new Golden Age. She tells Virgil that the only way to find the true knowledge is through purification, and to call for the Universal Mother to help him through his voyage of initiation....

Cuts include "Song of Aphrodite," "Rising Sun Chant," "I am Black but Beautiful" (to the Black Madonna), "Virgil's Prayer to Demeter" (from Apuleius' Golden Ass), "Song of Isis," "Dance of the Moon," "Chant of the Black Madonna of Freedom," "Song of Hecate," "Chant of the Black Madonna of the Sacred Mountain Montevergine" (temple of Cybele/Gaia), three tarantellas, and some very erotic Neapolitan drumming!

Lyrichord LYRCD 7427. I special-ordered my copy through Ladyslipper.

Books

Barker: Greek Musical Writings
Anderson: Music and Musicians in Ancient Greece
Pohlmann: Denkmaler Altgriechischer Musik

Lark in the Morning

Many authentic Greek, Middle Eastern and other traditional instruments are available from Lark in the Morning. They even accept email orders (larkinam@larkinam.com) and their page has lots of good information about folk instruments.

The Ethnic Musical Instruments Co.

The Ethnic Musical Instruments Co. (Mid-East Mfg., Inc.) sells a variety of folk instruments, including frame drums and lyres. You can order their products or catalogs over the Web.