SYNESIS IN ARISTOXENIAN THEORY
PLORA KR. LEVIN
New York
Taausactions avo Hocee pois
or tk Aveaaw Pir lelogrcal
Assocare Cn (ay a2 )
SYNESIS IN ARISTOXENIAN THEORY
FLORA KR, LEVIN
‘New York
in memoriam Miciem W. Hassell
‘Music must be conceived by human beings. Although the sounds of
+ music derive immediately from the vibrating string or the column of
sir, the ordering of these sounds into a melody which moves'the listener
is a function of the human mind. Conceived by the mind, music
speaks to other minds, which recognize in it not merely the sounds of
melody but representations of human feelings. And although one
‘can analyze precisely the physical properties of sound and interval or
dissect meticulously the anatomy of melody, the affective power of
music eludes objective representation, In fact, the more closely music
is assimilated to its physical form, the farther is one removed from its
source and energy. The recognition of this fact is a fundamental
achievement of Aristoxenus, the fourth ccntury 2c, musical theorist.
His epochal contribution to the history of ideas consists in a theory of
music based on the notion # ris povoucts Edvears, construed here
to be “musical intuition” or “competence,” i.e. an inherent mental
capacity comprising one’s implicit musical knowledge. Formulated
ALS) lit esveons (ESveons) 1 being derived by Plato Crat, 412A from ovnévas
faci pn” Aga ett ge oats Be OT ee,
_ ‘occurrence in tS,
ee taal em, Ob nt
‘reference to some fculry of the mind; thus, Arist. EN 1143At3 (ro pases Miyeras
Eundaor) Plato Crt 43ta bpdrqots renal Géveaus); Eur. Her. 655 (Edveais nal oogia):
Pind. Nem, 7.60 (ovrou .« » $pendv); Thue. 1.75 (wipns Eordocus); Arist de An.
141083 (Géveaus a8 oppoted to Syvoua). Is appearance with an objective genitive denot
ng incligence tn thin, sage in respec to something, a8 in Pato Cra 4130 (rf 708
Suxaiov omdon), i exemplified in Arstoxenus" construction 4 ris novoucfs Ebvo,
‘but the later citation isnot included in LSJ. The glos matherwit or native spec fot
byeons for example, in Thue. 1.38 (obeelgfundons), lea mont eling instance OCs
‘eference toan inherent Knowledge, the sense in which tis uied, I believe, by Aritoxenun,
‘Oftheten occurrences of Etveous and Gorin ia the Harmon, only two are wed bYan FLORA R. LEVIN bis72
on this notion, his theory, transmitted to us in the fragmentary docu-
ment known as Harmonics? represents more than a “descriptive
anatomy"? of ancient Greck music. It is, beyond this, I believe, an
attempt t0 account for the mental process responsible for the creation
Avixoxenos in the genent sense of “understanding or “comprehension” HS.
Macran, The Harmonies of Arsexenns (Onford 1903), secordingly eranslater Ham. 3
{p, 167): “Furthermore, iis euenial to a cleat comprehension of these points
leis rp rodran Gtrcur] and Harm. 16 "When i (2 defition) pus him
way of undertanding [es 18 Eordrai| the thing defined” The other instances of
{Eiveous in Aristoxen’ text clearly refer to some kind of mental activity that is more
igsfiant than the English words “understanding” and “comprehension” suggext
“That Macrn was aware of 2 complex meming is apparent Grom his variety of trasl-
tions, 21, for example on™ (p. 18), “apprehension” (p. 193), intellectual
apprehension” (p. 193), “intellectual proces” (p. 193). In ths paper 1 argue that
‘ye for Arstxen is musical intuition, Arstoxemus states atone point (Herm. 38)
UE Enis mele co oe aby low wih te aad en
what is taking place with expect to it every distinction” (my translation). Thit
Tnlir more than mere recognition ot wiper undetanding of melodies; i
sugges, rather a total musical competence. ‘This contruction is devived from the
not tngite comptes” fr which sz Noam Chay, Apes ofthe Theory of
Shmiex (MIT Pres, Cambridge 1963) 4. The orienation of this paper is im many
inporant per intend by te work af Choma and moder gui
‘The following abbreviations are wed: Jane=C. von Jan, Muse soiptres Grae
(Leipsig 1899): D=L. Deuter, Fanblicus, De via Pytheeie(Leipsig 1937); Diking =
1. Daring, Pulm, Hanmante (GBeborg t930): DupuiamJ. Dupuis, Thcon of Smyme,
Expoie eran mathenutaram ad legend Plane wlio (Pais 1993); Hoche= R.
Hoche, Nicmachar, Inrodutionis arate Hib (Leipeig, 1863): Wieningtot-ingrar
ington-Ingram, Aries Quitilianus, De masa (Leipzig 196),
The tretne has come down to us in three books designated in most ofthe MSS
by the title, “The Harmonic Elements of Aristoxenus.” That i hat been compl
{om at many 21 three of four works ofthe author at been suggested by scholars on the
busi of various inconsstencics, repetitions and omisions in its treatment ofthe sbject
‘The first book defines the scope of harmonics and its subsidiary subjects, che second
redefines it exablihing the principles (cha) from which is awe are deduced, che third
‘comprises theorems and proofs in the manner of Eucis Elements, breakin off abruptly
inthe course of examining the species ofa fourth Missing elements of the theory may
be deduced from material contained in treatises writen centaries later 2, for example,
Ceonides, Hagog? Hermonlt and Gaudentins, Harenikt lapet, which purport to
tranumit Avinoxenian docrine. It is not certain, however, that there writers have
Iranded down the theory without coruption. Cf. R. P. Winnington-Ingram, Mode
dn Ancient Crerk Mai Cambridge 1936) 11. Scholatly opinion on the problem of the
work's lick of unity and its probable compilation from a multiplicity of treaties is
Alscused by Macran above, note 1) 89-92. More recently the question has been given
penetrating analysis by 1 da Rios, Araaven! Elementa Harmonica (Rome 1954) wh
the" Prolegomena" (vi-cxvi),preestsher own well considered throught cxvi-cx¥i).
11, Henderson, Ancient Greek Musi" The New Oxford History of Music (Ancewt
snd Orel Masi, eB. Wellese (London 1957) 143.
Vol. 103] “‘sywasts” IN ARISTOXENIAN THEORY 213
and comprehension of music. The importance of Aristoxenus’
theory resides then not primarily in its description of musical phenom-
ena, however crucial for our knowledge of Greek music this may be,
but, more fundamentally, in its delineation of the possibilities for such
phenomena to occur.
‘The mental process by which music is conceptualized and translated
into sound and performance is represented by Aristoxenus in the
a priori notion of musical synesis or intuition. In his words (Harm,
at)
for, fact, the uhimate factor in every visible activity isthe intellectual
process [synesis]. For thi latter is the presiding and determining principle;
_andasfor the hands, voice, mouth or breath—it is an error to suppose that
they are very much more than inanimate instruments. -And if this
intellectual activity [syuesis] is something hidden deep down in the soul,
and is not palpable or apparent to the ordinary man, a8 the operation of the
hand and the like are apparent, we must not on that account alter our
views. We shall be sure to miss the truth unless we place the supreme and
ultimate, not in the thing determined, but inthe activity that determines,
The activity that determines is conceived by Aristoxenus to be # ris
povorniis Eveos (Harm, 33) ot musical intuition,
In effecr, Aristoxenus’ theory of music may be regarded as his answer
to the question, What is music? The nature of music, whose deeper
‘meaning the probings of science and empiricism were unable to reveal,
‘was understood by Aristoxenus to be an activity of the human mind,
For him, musical thought was a reality, the ultimate cause of the musical
art that, objectified through performance, could be understood by
other minds. In this respect, Aristoxenus’ theory of music may be
enlisted as evidence for Aristotle's dictum (EN 11goa12~t4): “All art
is concerned with creation, and to practice an art is to contemplate
how to create something that admits of existence or non-existence,
and the efficient cause of which is in the maker but not in the thing
made.” For Aristoxenus the efficient cause of music is a mental faculty,
termed by him synesis.
‘The method adopted by Aristoxenus for determining the nature of
‘music was to abstract from musical activity a cognitive system in which
“English tranaations are those of Macran (above, note 1).