Institutional portal - Municipality of Milan

Sunday at 11am in Sala Alessi, music in classical antiquity with Stefan Hagel. Free tickets with reservations starting from 10am on Thursday 3 October

Milan, October 2 2019 - Domenica 6 ottobre, alle ore 11:00, Stefan Hagel, uno dei massimi esperti mondiali di musica antica e ricercatore presso l’Istituto di studi di civiltà antica dell’Accademia austriaca delle scienze, terrà in Sala Alessi una lezione-concerto sulla musica dell’antica Grecia, ricostruendone le caratteristiche principali a partire dai rari frammenti giunti fino a noi. Il quinto appuntamento della stagione 2019 di Palazzo Marino in musica, dal titolo “Classico, Neo-classico? Razionalità ed equilibrio nella civiltà musicale europea.” è un’occasione davvero unica per scoprire le melodie antiche eseguite attraverso riproduzioni di strumenti originali.

The music of the Hellenic civilization will resonate, the result of the articulated theoretical-musical concept, based on the diatonic system, on seven-tone scales and sound and semitone intervals. The Greek method, transmitted over the centuries to the Romans, allowed the development of the musical civilization of Western Europe, as we know and practice it today. Stefan Hagel, in addition to performing ancient Greek songs and compositions, will show the public lyres and aulós: respectively, plucked string instruments and aerophones, ancestors of modern wind instruments. 

There are various historical sources that Hagel took inspiration from in his research: representations of musical instruments on ancient painted vases, statues, reliefs, mosaics, as well as theoretical and practical writings by authors such as Aristoxenus and Cleonides.

From these precious testimonies it was possible to deduce a lot of information also on the musical education of the ancient Greeks. In fact, music played a fundamental role in the life of the community: it accompanied religious rites, celebrations, military events and theatrical performances. There are archaeological finds of all this, while we know little about the interpretative practice and techniques used.

The emphasis placed on the musical aspects of education is hardly surprising considering its connection to many aspects of the life of a citizen of the time. Dance was present not only in rituals and private parties, but was also part of military training. Song was an indispensable element of religious activities and the presence of an instrument was also customary on many daily ritual occasions such as libations. In the symposium, for example, guests were expected to demonstrate their refined education by contributing to the entertainment with some musical performances. Furthermore, citizens also participated in semi-professional performances as choir members in dithyrambic competitions or even in the theater.

Stephen Hagel

Stefan Hagel works as a senior researcher at the Institute for the Study of Ancient Culture of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Starting from an analysis of the melodic models in Greek epic verses, he specialized in ancient music, creating publications that linked theory and musical practice of the time. He is a profound connoisseur and maker of ancient musical instruments with a specialization in lyres and double pipes, as well as matters of meter and rhythm. His research is also accompanied by a vast application of computer techniques and mathematical methods: Hagel created the Classical Text Editor, a specialized software among the most used by scholars for critical editions of ancient texts.

The review Palazzo Marino in Musica, realizzata in collaborazione con la Presidenza del Consiglio Comunale, è sostenuta da Intesa Sanpaolo ed è organizzata dall’Associazione EquiVoci Musicali. La direzione artistica è a cura di Davide Santi e Rachel O’Brien. Consulente artistico è il prof. Ettore Napoli. Media partner della stagione 2019 è la rivista Amadeus.

80 free tickets can be reserved online on the website www.palazzomarinoinmusica.it starting from 10:00 on Thursday 3 October.

40 tickets will be available at the ticket office of the Gallerie d'Italia – Piazza Scala, in Piazza della Scala 6, starting from 10:00 am on Thursday 3 October. It will be possible to collect up to two tickets per person.

To enter you must show an identity document together with the ticket.