Work

The Mouthpiece of the Aulos Revisited

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: The precise nature of the aulos mouthpiece, especially in the Classical period and before, has been disputed: above all, was it a single or a double reed? A definitive answer to this question has the greatest consequences for the nature of aulos music regarding not only timbre but more importantly control of dynamics, phrasing, and microtonal adjustments. From a survey of iconographical, literary and archaeological evidence, it is argued that the instruments of higher cultural esteem were universally equipped with double reeds. Single reeds were known as well, but are almost completely eclipsed in our sources.

Source: Greek and Roman Musical Studies

DOI: 10.1163/22129758-bja10062

Authors: Kamila Wysłucha, Stefan Hagel

Institutions: Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austrian Archeological Institute, University of Vienna

Language: English

Topic: Musicology and Musical Analysis

Subfield: Music

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: European Commission, H2020 European Research Council

Awards: G434337789, Ancient Music Beyond Hellenisation