The Sound of the Ancient Greek Kithara

To celebrate the publication of Jeff Koons's new book, "Apollo", about the exhibtion of his sculpture "Apollo Kithara" which featured my music for recreated kithara as the main soundscape, here is "Hymn to Zeus" - a 'live' performance of track 3 from my 2010 album, "Apollo's Lyre", performed on an actual recreation of the ancient Greek kithara!
Available from all major digital music stores. CD Quality audio plus a PDF of the detailed album notes are also available from Bandcamp:
michaellevy.ba...
This piece, an original composition for solo lyre, is in the distinctively intense, introspective ancient Greek Dorian mode - the equivalent intervals as E-E on the white notes of the piano, this was misnamed the 'Phrygian' mode by scholars in the Middle Ages.
The kithara was the large wooden lyre, performed by the professional musicians of classical antiquity, recreated here by Luthieros:
luthieros.com
As no surviving actual ancient Greek kithara has yet been discovered, the recreation was based upon the many illustrations seen on countless ancient Greek vases, sculptures and artwork.
There is plenty of controversy about the construction - the curious spring-like structures clearly illustrated below the crossbeam to which the strings are attached, could either be interpreted as structural (providing equal & opposite reaction to the downward pull of the strings on the slender arms of the kithara, as most academic scholars believe), or maybe even evidence of some form of mechanical vibrato/portamento mechanism!
Luthieros, being highly adventurous, decided to opt for the vibrato/portamento possibility of these springs - as I also attempt to demonstrate in this performance.
Jeff Koons's book, "Apollo", featuring all the details & photos of the exhibition of his remarkable sculpture "Apollo Kithara" can be ordered now:
www.artbook.co...
For more detailed information on the kithara of classical antiquity, please also see my own website blog:
ancientlyre.co...
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[@kareemmohammed5270]

much appreciated, beautiful music.

[@PrimitiveInTheExtreme]

Magic ✨

[@decem_sagittae]

Wow😮 this is phenomenonal

[@MichaelLevyMusic]

So glad you appreciated this 'musical adventure in time travel'! In mixing the audio, I was experimenting with new cinematic-style mastering software with reverb sampled from actual sacred spaces, in an attempt to transform the acoustics of my spare room into an ancient Greek Temple!
Feeling inspired for a future recording project...

[@venustiana1643]

🖤🖤🖤