Stefan Hagel
Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austrian Archaeological Institute, Department Member
Research Interests:
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Although ancient sources describe the mechanism of the ancient water organ’s wind supply in considerable detail, modern attempts at recreating such a device have remained unsatisfactory. A study of the relations between the shape of the... more
Although ancient sources describe the mechanism of the ancient water organ’s wind supply in considerable detail, modern attempts at recreating such a device have remained unsatisfactory. A study of the relations between the shape of the pressure chamber, its size, possible water levels and the ensuing usable air pressure and volume suggests that the true hydraulis played at much higher pressures than has been commonly assumed. Such pressures would support reed pipes much more readily than flue pipes; this, in turn, can explain the sound volume that we must expect from an instrument that was used in open spaces and inherently noisy environments.
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Although ancient sources describe the mechanism of the ancient water organ’s wind supply in considerable detail, modern attempts at recreating such a device have remained unsatisfactory. A study of the relations between the shape of the... more
Although ancient sources describe the mechanism of the ancient water organ’s wind supply in considerable detail, modern attempts at recreating such a device have remained unsatisfactory. A study of the relations between the shape of the pressure chamber, its size, possible water levels and the ensuing usable air pressure and volume suggests that the true hydraulis played at much higher pressures than has been commonly assumed. Such pressures would support reed pipes much more readily than flue pipes; this, in turn, can explain the sound volume that we must expect from an instrument that was used in open spaces and inherently noisy environments.
Research Interests:
A variety of possible applications of modern technology for music-archaeological purposes are discussed: from studying and evaluating musical finds and acoustical environments through the presentation of pitch structures down to... more
A variety of possible applications of modern technology for music-archaeological purposes are discussed: from studying and evaluating musical finds and acoustical environments through the presentation of pitch structures down to databases, their statistical evaluation and the necessity and promises of dedicated coding.
A possible connection between the “Guidonian hexachord”, along with the Sapphic melody with which it is associated, and the early medieval “Northern” lyre is suggested. e uniform tuning of the latter is argued to t well within certain... more
A possible connection between the “Guidonian hexachord”, along with the Sapphic melody with which it is associated, and the early medieval “Northern” lyre is suggested. e uniform tuning of the latter is argued to t well within certain strands of “Western” music as it emerges in the late Middle Ages, as opposed to the “Mediterranean” music of Antiquity, which informed medieval music theory and the tradition of church chant.
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This paper reconsiders the stringing of the late fifth-century harp whose remains were found in the “Musician’s Grave” in Daphne. It comments on the suggestions made by Hagel in grms 1 (2013), and offers a different interpretation.
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D. Najock has criticised a tentatively proposed diatonic-chromatic tuning for the triangular frame harp found at Daphnē and suggested a different enharmonic-diatonic stringing. While his criticism may well be justified, it is argued that... more
D. Najock has criticised a tentatively proposed diatonic-chromatic tuning for the triangular frame harp found at Daphnē and suggested a different enharmonic-diatonic stringing. While his criticism may well be justified, it is argued that his alternative proposal is physically problematic and historically implausible. A possible compromise is discussed.
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Research Interests:
Research Interests:
When contextualising the ancient Greek solmisation system, known from Aristides Quintilianus and one of Bellermann's Anonymi, within its musical and linguistic environment, it emerges that it hardly predates the Roman Imperial period, an... more
When contextualising the ancient Greek solmisation system, known from Aristides Quintilianus and one of Bellermann's Anonymi, within its musical and linguistic environment, it emerges that it hardly predates the Roman Imperial period, an important part of whose musical schooling it appears to have formed. The system seems based on a combination of the various vowels' intrinsic F 2 pitch and intensity and reflects the harmonic hierarchies of contemporary music, shedding a much more favourable light on the music-psychological relevance of Aristides' gendered musical notes than is conventionally assumed.
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Starting from data on the ‘Paestum’ or ‘Poseidonia’ aulos established by Paul andBarbara Reichlin-Moser and Stelios Psaroudakēs, the ‘Pydna’ aulos, and comparable finds ofearly, mainly six-hole one-hole-shift, doublepipe fragments,... more
Starting from data on the ‘Paestum’ or ‘Poseidonia’ aulos established by Paul andBarbara Reichlin-Moser and Stelios Psaroudakēs, the ‘Pydna’ aulos, and comparable finds ofearly, mainly six-hole one-hole-shift, doublepipe fragments, possible musical interpretations ofthis important instrument type of the early Classical Period are considered. Probable pitchesand intervals are assessed by means of well-tested software and confirmed experimentally;the required double reeds of a much longer type than known from later periods are shownto be substantiated by iconographic and literary testimony. The harmonic analysis of theinstruments proposes the notion of a rudimentary tetrachordal structure, with equallydivided tetrachords, which is both plausible in terms of music-ethnological parallels and thedevelopment of ancient musical theory. Some of the studied instruments appear to adhereto an early pitch standard, seemingly coinciding with the typical cithara octave. Criticalevaluation of lite...
The four best-preserved aulos pipes unearthed at Pompeii are examined and their original pitches are as far as possible determined by mathematical analysis. It is argued that the scales of the instruments as well as specific details of... more
The four best-preserved aulos pipes unearthed at Pompeii are examined and their original pitches are as far as possible determined by mathematical analysis. It is argued that the scales of the instruments as well as specific details of their mechanism fit well with our knowledge of music from the Roman Imperial period. The conclusions are corroborated by models of the pipes and their mechanism, which were presented and played at the 2nd Annual Meeting of MOISA; cf. Sound Examples 1-3 (see Full Text: PDF), which were played on plastic models of the pipes National Museum Naples no. 76892 and 76893.
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Apart from the better studied musical ‘handbooks’ of the Roman period, mostly focused on matters of harmonics and sometimes rhythmics, there was a type of text known as ‘Musics’. The article discusses their characteristics, their function... more
Apart from the better studied musical ‘handbooks’ of the Roman period, mostly focused on matters of harmonics and sometimes rhythmics, there was a type of text known as ‘Musics’. The article discusses their characteristics, their function in ancient schooling and their relation to extant texts and excerpts, most notably the collection known as Bellermann’s Anonymi. The ‘instrumental exercises’ found at the end of these are evaluated as instrumental pieces posing various challenges to beginners on the aulos; a new rhythmical reconstruction is proposed for one of them.
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Two aulos pairs (Δ1965 and Δ1964), unearthed in 1980 and 2005 respectively at Megara (Attica), are exhibited in the city’s Archaeological Museum. Both are associated with metal sliding keys (resembling the keys on the well-known Pergamon... more
Two aulos pairs (Δ1965 and Δ1964), unearthed in 1980 and 2005 respectively at Megara (Attica), are exhibited in the city’s Archaeological Museum. Both are associated with metal sliding keys (resembling the keys on the well-known Pergamon aulos model), either mounted on the pipes (Δ1964) or displayed next to them (Δ1965). The present paper describes the parts, proposes a meaningful re-assemblage of the bone sections, and gives a detailed account of the sliding mechanism, which is here for the first time attested on finds of actual musical instruments, including an entirely new technology of speaker hole keys. A musical analysis, based on determining plausible reed configurations using software modelling, suggests that the finds represent a partially standardised design of professional modulating auloi, playing attested harmoníai while hovering between the enharmonic and chromatic.
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For a single classicist, a discussion of the principles of the editor’s work among medievalists is a bit precarious. The viewpoints of both professions may differ significantly, which is basically due to the different nature of the... more
For a single classicist, a discussion of the principles of the editor’s work among medievalists is a bit precarious. The viewpoints of both professions may differ significantly, which is basically due to the different nature of the sources and their traditions, on which we have come to build our conceptions. Furthermore, I am not even an editor myself. Most of what I know about the editors’ needs has been communicated to me as functionality to be included into my software. Surprisingly little of that, however, concerned digital editing. Consequently, I shall restrain my contribution to those topics with which I am most familiar: the technical side, and the average editor’s approaches to the option of a digital output. My viewpoint is also determined by my main concern in developing editorial software: to support a careful and conscious way of dealing with our most valuable resource, life time. Since Peter Robinson’s essay on making digital editions of medieval texts has been announc...
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Comparison between an original ancient composition and modern supplements shows that the ancient poetcomposer paid attention to sub-metrical parameters defining the suitability of a metrically long syllable for extended voiced... more
Comparison between an original ancient composition and modern supplements shows that the ancient poetcomposer paid attention to sub-metrical parameters defining the suitability of a metrically long syllable for extended voiced performance. This criterion is explored as a potential guide to overlong syllables, developing a statistical method including thoroughly calculated weighted expectations. The method is then applied to Pindar's dactylo-epitritic Epinicia, where the rhythmical time of ‘missing link syllables’ is shown to have been incorporated within the preceding syllable. The notation and the rhythm of dactylo-epitrites are discussed in detail.
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Research Interests:
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This study addresses the question of pitches and pitch structures that may have been played on the excavated instruments, assessing string lengths and their implications as well as searching for a plausible effective length for the aulos... more
This study addresses the question of pitches and pitch structures that may have been played on the excavated instruments, assessing string lengths and their implications as well as searching for a plausible effective length for the aulos including its reed, based on computer-modelling the behaviour of the oscillating air column. The results are discussed in the context of our present knowledge about pitch ranges that were typically used in ancient music.
:The four best-preserved aulos pipes unearthed at Pompeii are examined and their original pitches are as far as possible determined by mathematical analysis. It is argued that the scales of the instruments as well as specific details of... more
:The four best-preserved aulos pipes unearthed at Pompeii are examined and their original pitches are as far as possible determined by mathematical analysis. It is argued that the scales of the instruments as well as specific details of their mechanism fit well with our knowledge of music from the Roman Imperial period.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
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Zusammenfassung Eine Neuaufnahme des Louvre-Aulos, eines der vollständigsten aus der Antike erhaltenen Instru-mente, ergab korrigierte Maße, die hier erstmals vorgestellt werden und mit Hilfe von Computer-simulation sowie einem neuen... more
Zusammenfassung Eine Neuaufnahme des Louvre-Aulos, eines der vollständigsten aus der Antike erhaltenen Instru-mente, ergab korrigierte Maße, die hier erstmals vorgestellt werden und mit Hilfe von Computer-simulation sowie einem neuen exakten Nachbau zu einer genaueren musikalischen Interpretation füh-ren. Details der Bauweise werden bezüglich Funk-tionalität und Ästhetik diskutiert.
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Two Greco-Egyptian double-reed pipes in the possession of the Berlin Egyptian Museum are examined. Both are equipped with small ‘speaker’ holes; one is furnished with a metal ring over one of its finger holes. It is argued that they... more
Two Greco-Egyptian double-reed pipes in the possession of the Berlin Egyptian Museum are examined. Both are equipped with small ‘speaker’ holes; one is furnished with a metal ring over one of its finger holes. It is argued that they formed a single instrument (aulos) that was used for a variety of ‘modes’. Similarities with another find suggest that instruments with analogous capabilities were built in various sizes. Finally, a papyrus fragment with instrumental notation demonstrates that the extended ‘modulating’ characteristics of the present instrument were also part of traditional aulos-making. Various possible scales are exemplified on a replica.
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Research Interests:
A mathematical analysis of the notational sections of the ‘Hurrian hymns‘ yields new insights in several aspects of Near Eastern music from the second millennium BC. The fine tuning of the accompanying instrument(s) can be determined, as... more
A mathematical analysis of the notational sections of the ‘Hurrian hymns‘ yields new insights in several aspects of Near Eastern music from the second millennium BC. The fine tuning of the accompanying instrument(s) can be determined, as well as a coherent system of ‘harmonic‘ progression. The pieces with ‘extended‘ notation seem to include modulation to a neighbouring key. A comparison with ancient Greek music suggests a largely independent development of musical form from at least as early as the first half of the second millennium on.
Research Interests: Religion, Music, Music History, Literature, Organology, and 15 moreCulture, Mediterranean, History of Music Theory, Metaphor, Notation (Music), Ancient Greek Music, Myth, Central Asian Archaeology, Historical Musicology, History of musical notation systems, Ancient Greek Music Theory, Music history, Ancient Greek music, Cuneiform evidence for musical systems, Cuneiform music mathematics, and Ancient Near Eastern
Research Interests: Religion, Music, Literature, Culture, Mediterranean, and 12 moreMetaphor, Ancient Greek Music, Greek and Latin prosody and metrics, Myth, Central Asian Archaeology, Ancient Greek Music Theory, Meter and Rhythm, Music history, Ancient Greek music, Ancient Music, Greek Metrics and Rhythmics, Ancient Greek Metrics and Rhythmics, and Ancient Near Eastern
The idea that the effect of music on the human soul crucially affects matters of education and politics is first found in Plato, with reference to Damon of Athens (5th century BCE). On the basis of a late antique treatise by Aristides... more
The idea that the effect of music on the human soul crucially affects matters of education and politics is first found in Plato, with reference to Damon of Athens (5th century BCE). On the basis of a late antique treatise by Aristides Quintilianus, which also refers to Damon, the latter has been ascribed a full-fledged theory of musical ethos. The present contribution critically evaluates the sources from Plato through Aristotle and up until Aristides, arguing for a reading of Plato’s Republic that does not consider opinions on musical details reflecting the authorial voice, as well as for the absence in the classical era of a musical ethos theory that was based on technical reasoning.
Research Interests:
The idea that the effect of music on the human soul crucially affects matters of education and politics is first found in Plato, with reference to Damon of Athens (5th century BCE). On the basis of a late antique treatise by Aristides... more
The idea that the effect of music on the human soul crucially affects matters of education and politics is first found in Plato, with reference to Damon of Athens (5th century BCE). On the basis of a late antique treatise by Aristides Quintilianus, which also refers to Damon, the latter has been ascribed a full-fledged theory of musical ethos. The present contribution critically evaluates the sources from Plato through Aristotle and up until Aristides, arguing for a reading of Plato’s Republic that does not consider opinions on musical details reflecting the authorial voice, as well as for the absence in the classical era of a musical ethos theory that was based on technical reasoning.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The chapter studies ancient Greek music theory, primarily of the 5th and 4th centuries bce and throughout the Hellenistic and Greco-Roman eras. Instruments that must be tuned, either during manufacturing or right before performance,... more
The chapter studies ancient Greek music theory, primarily of the 5th and 4th centuries bce and throughout the Hellenistic and Greco-Roman eras. Instruments that must be tuned, either during manufacturing or right before performance, prompt reflection on pitch relations. Stringed instruments, which require repeated tuning, form the background of the earliest testimonies of “western” musical terminology, preserved in cuneiform texts from the second millennium bce. In the Greek world, an outburst of music-theoretical activity began around 500 bce, crystalizing, after about two centuries of lively discussion, in theoretical edifices whose principles remained largely unchallenged until late antiquity. Musical scales were the concern of the science named harmoniké, whereas other aspects of music-making are harder to analyze. Two harmonic traditions existed, one called “Pythagorean” emphasizing numerical ratios, and the other associated with Aristoxenus, focusing on musical perception. Bot...