At the Odyssey 2024 Festival in Adelaide, Panagiotis Mavraidis will be hosting a free talk on ancient Greek musical instruments.
The talk will begin by explaining what music is and what was the need of people to compose it.
Presented will be the first musical instruments used by man from prehistoric times then the ancient times and more specifically the instruments used by the ancient Greeks for their entertainment as well as for their ceremonies.
The audience will hear and see some musical instruments, such as the first simple xylophones and wind instruments, and the Hydraulis which was the ancestor of the church organ and was made in the 3rd century B.C.E. by Ctesivius.
Melodies written five thousand years ago will also be heard, which have survived in the form of an ancient score, ancient Greek hymns but also modern music played by ancient lyres, strings, wind instruments and percussion by distinguished musicians.
In addition to the music videos, there will be a reconstruction of the ancient Greek lyre with which Mavraidis will play some traditional Greek songs.
There will be a small exhibition on the day of the speech with reconstructions of ancient musical instruments which are copies from museum exhibits. Visitors at the end of the talk will be able to look at them, hold them in their hands and hear the sound they make.
“We live in an era where electronic music prevails around us, the way it is produced, and we listen to it is also exclusively a result of modern technology,” Mavraidis said in statement sent to Neos Kosmos.
“As an amateur musician I use synthesizers and computers to compose music that I enjoy listening or with my friends. But listening to a traditional instrument and a human voice without microphones and loudspeakers emits a magic that penetrates you and travels you to other horizons.”
Not all information could be fit in the hour and a half, so a free download is available to those interested, in a small book on Mavraidis’ website.
When: Sunday October 6, 2pm
Where: Olympic Hall, 288 Franklin Street, Adelaide
