Greek and Latin Music Theory: Principles and Challenges. By Edward Nowacki

Abstract

This book, so Edward Nowacki explains in his introduction, is not an exhaustive study of every theoretical treatise in Greek or Latin, but a collection of essays intended to help graduate students above all who seek competence in the history of music theory. Since I cannot speak to what an American graduate student may be expected to know, particularly in the matter of Greek theory, I cannot say which explanations may be superfluous or deficient; but I can say that that there is much matter here to interest even the more advanced reader. I must also point out that only chapters 8 and 11 treat of authors later than the twelfth century. Part I is concerned with ancient Greek theory. The first chapter concerns the harmoniai, which Nowacki wisely refuses to call ‘modes’ since they bore no relation to those known from medieval theory with classical names wrongly applied....