πολύχορδος

Versatility and variety, both of harmonies and of instruments (in particular of the αὐλός), are considered to be among the peculiar characteristics of the New Music. The adjective πολύχορδος, like the compounds to which it can be approached by semantic association and connotation – πολύκαμπτος, πολυγνώμων, πολύλογος, πολύτροπος, πολύφθογος -, draws attention in particular to the dual idea of complexity and multiplicity of sounds and, more implicitly, to the fact that the New Music owes its success with the masses mainly to virtuosity. This is condemned by many authors, including Plato in the Republic. Indeed, as Vegetti (1998, 113 n. 88) recalls, «in the polis of the Republic, the “simple” soul type (haple) must prevail». Striking in the Platonic passage is the occurrence of πολυχορδία (Resp. 399c) a short distance away from the adjective πολύχορδος, the latter in reference to the αὐλός, despite the latter being an aerophone and not a chordophone, a sign of an extension of the concept of poly-chordia into poly–phony as early as Plato’s time (or perhaps, if one attributes to Simonides the fr. adesp. 947b PMG, as early as the 5th century).

E. ROCCONI, Le parole delle Muse: la formazione del lessico tecnico musicale nella Grecia antica, Roma 2003, 19 n. 69 e 35 n. 183; M. RAFFA, ‘Suonare la parola, pronunciare la melodia: L’aulós come ‘doppio’ strumentale’, Il Saggiatore musicale 15/2, 2008, 187-189.

Multiplicity of sounds, virtuosity, musical corruption

[Francesco Buè]