Editorial

86
The Terpandros Orchestra playing at Casteliotissa Hall.
scales which were composed of tones and semitones
(diatonic scales), there existed those which
were composed of semitones and three-semitones
(chromatic scales), and others composed
of quarters of tones and two-toned intervals
(henarmonic). The kind of intervals used
by each scale is called genus. Each genus had
different shades which were called colors. The
fact that would seem strange to the ancient
Greeks is that contemporary scales would sound
disonal, having fallen victims of blending. Because
of the fact that ancient scales were based on natural
intervals in accordance with Pythagoras’s
findings in the 6th century BC semitones and
tones were not equal between them, with the
result that it was difficult to transpose musical
pieces (a fact that did not bother the ancient
Greeks, since their melodies were mostly monodies).
In the 16th AC century, western musicians sacrificed
the melody of unequal musical intervals
in order to gain complete freedom for the transportation
(for the sake of polyphony), and comfort
for the practical use of keyboard instruments.
This was achieved with the equalization
of the twelve semitones of the octave, in other
words the equal temperament where semitones
become equal, and fourths and fifths are allowed
to become slightly imperfect. So a compromise
was found between the laws of nature and the
needs of art.
At this point it should be stressed that ancient
Greeks had a different concept of concord from
our own. To them there were only four perfect
concords: Unison, the eighth, the fifth and
the fourth. A noticeable fact is that the ancient
Greeks never considered the third as a concord
interval, although it forms the basis of contemporary
harmony. In fact Gavdentios calls
it disonal as an intermediate step between
concord and discord intervals.
One can easily understand how ancient Greek
music gave a variety of choices regarding the
kind of intervals used (genuses, chroiai) and
to the way that unites them (systems).
So a composer could compose a piece and
perform it differently if he wished to do so.
He could change the scale (like today) with the
selection of another tone transposing the piece.
He could change the mode that is to do a modulation.
Today this is also done mainly between
Major and Minor scales. He could change the
genus and chroia that is to do a complete change
of the piece. Today this is not possible because
melody uses only the diatonic scales. He
could change the system from synimmeno (conjuct)
to diazevgmeno (disjunct). That is to do
a systematic change. Apart from the melody, he
could also (like today) change the rhythm, speed
and character of the piece by using the rest of
the changes.
It is obvious that where Western music was seeking
beauty through polyphonic multiplication