Search

Definition
Ancient Greek Music
Music (or mousike) was an integral part of life in the ancient Greek world, and the term covered not only music but also dance, lyrics, and the performance of poetry. A wide range of instruments was used to perform music which was played...

Article
Music & Dance in Ancient Egypt
Music and dance were highly valued in ancient Egyptian culture, but they were more important than is generally thought: they were integral to creation and communion with the gods and, further, were the human response to the gift of life and...

Image
Ancient Egyptian Music and Dancing
This painting from the Tomb of Nebamun (c. 1350 BCE) shows women making music and other almost naked women dancing.

Interview
Interview with Michael Levy
Join World History Encyclopedia as they talk to Michael Levy, a prolific composer of the ancient lyre all about his inspiration and knowledge of the instrument. If you want to hear Michael perform, be sure to check out our video interview...

Image
Red-Figure Hydria Music Lesson
Close-up of a red-figure vase painting depicting a music lesson. In this section, two men play music while a boy and cat (alternately identified as a young panther) sit on the side. Attributed to "The Agrigento Painter". Produced in Attica...

Definition
Sistrum
The sistrum (rattle) was a musical percussion instrument first used by the ancient Egyptians, commonly used in ancient Greek musical practices, and often depicted in visual arts such as sculpture and pottery. Made from clay, wood, or metal...

Video
Ancient Greek Music by Prof. Stefan Hagel
Professor Stefan Hagel performing Ancient Greek Music at palaestra et odeum - Lund - Sweden.
Instruments: Greek Kithara & Aulos

Video
Music & Creativity in Ancient Greece - Tim Hansen
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/music-and-creativity-in-ancient-greece-tim-hansen You think you love music? You have nothing on the Ancient Greek obsession. Every aspect of Greek life was punctuated by song: history, poetry...

Definition
Pan Flute
The pan flute or panpipes (syrinx) was a musical wind instrument first used by the ancient Greeks. Most commonly played by shepherds, the earliest use was in the Cycladic islands in the third millennium BCE, and representations of the instrument...

Image
Music in the Tuileries Gardens by Manet
An 1862 oil on canvas painting, Music in the Tuileries Gardens, by Edouard Manet (1832-83), the French modernist painter. This work has often been called the first modern painting since it broke the artistic convention that artists avoided...