# Synaulia - The Music of Ancient Rome



## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

Has anyone ever heard the music of Synaulia? This is a group in Italy that has reconstructed music instruments of the ancient Roman period (with the help of a bunch of PhDs in all things Roman). Though no real ancient Roman musical notation exists, these artists and experts have done their best to reconstruct what music of this period would have sounded like.

It's pretty awesome stuff, quite honestly. I bought the second (of two) volumes, this one dealing primarily with string instruments. Lots of lyre action to be sure, but other instruments too like cornu, bagpipes and panpipes. Barbaric, hypnotic and even a little creepy. Best heard at night in a room with nothing but candles. (Like most classical music, really.)

Anyone else?


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## starry (Jun 2, 2009)

Haven't heard it. If they have no notation they must be just going by what was wrote about it back then and other music of the time like ancient Greek. I wonder if that is really enough to have an accurate idea of how the music would have sounded (rhythms, melodic phrases, structure etc).


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I heard parts of Vol. 1 on my Rhapsody account. Wow! It reminds me slightly of the goth/world/ancient ensemble Dead Can Dance, only more barbaric. Funny that the music of ancient Rome would sound barbaric to our ears - if this is remotely like it.

I'm putting it in my music-to-buy queue.


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## starry (Jun 2, 2009)

Some of the music will have been military music I suppose, but I expect there must have been gentler or more reflective perhaps even mystical sounding music for other occasions.


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

I once was very interested in exploring ancient music. But I have doubts if I should get into this stuff. 

If there is no notation of authentic music I could already give up on them. The instruments thing can be interesting, but they could play anything and it doesn't have to be great. Maybe what they play is secretly inspired by 70's disco? 

But maybe they are cooperating with musicologist, maybe we have some clue about music theory of ancient Rome? The notes themselves are lost, but what about theoretical writings? If there would be such source and they would base their music on it, then I would give them a listen.


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

Yes, there is a lot of guesswork in these recordings, but I'd like to think that it's educated guesswork.

Apparently the Romans were not very interested in notating music. Paintings show Roman musicians playing various instruments but never any notation in front of them. It is known, however, that the Romans borrowed much of their culture from the Greeks, including music. And, thankfully, there is ancient Greek notation that has survived and been deciphered by modern-day scholars.

The CD includes a rather extensive book which goes into the process of "reconstructing" this music. Once I have more specific details (I have not read it yet) I can share them here. But again, this is a collaboration of musicians and established scholars, so one would have to think that there is at least a grain of authenticity in these recordings.

And even if they are not spot on musical reproductions, they are a fascinating listen anyway. The musical arrangements are quite appealing and would be popular with anyone who enjoys medieval/Renaissance music.


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## matteosilva (Oct 24, 2011)

Synaulia - Music from ancient Rome is a serious project started more then 15 years ago.
In the meantime the research group has reconstructed 286 replicas of Musical Instruments, analized thousands of ancient texts and studied the related iconography.
The result has been published in two vol. so far, "Synaulia Music from ancient Rome vol. 1 Wind Instruments" and "Synaulia Music from ancient Rome vol. 2, String Instruments". A third and final vol. will be published in 2012.

So far the results are encouraging and are without any doubt the most serious and closest hypothesis on the music of that period. The project Synaulia - Music from ancient Rome, under the patronage of the Italian Ministry of Culture (MIBAC), is supported by several Museums and by an international team of archeologist, paleorganologists and musicologists. The publications have been released on Amiata Records.


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

A new volume will be released next year? Good news!


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## GoneBaroque (Jun 16, 2011)

Synaulia can be found on You Tube. Here is one example.






There is another group on You Tube called Musica Romana


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## Amfibius (Jul 19, 2006)

Really enjoyed both Youtube clips. Going to place my order now!


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