Musical Offerings ⦁ 2021 ⦁ Volume 12 ⦁ Number 2 43 thinkers.21 The act of expressing emotion and convincing the audience of an idea was a large part of the humanistic movement. Composers of the day believed the current style of music was not capable of adequately arousing the emotions of the audience, and according to both Aristotle and Plato, catharsis is to be achieved through music.22 Catharsis is considered to be the process of releasing and expressing emotions, which greatly reflects being in touch with humanity and oneself. The composers had the job of persuading the audience to experience these emotions and feel what the story was expressing. The ancient Greeks were convinced everything they did needed to have a purpose, and some sort of connection with their emotions. Imitation or representation of humanity needed to be present in art. They believed if music did not express human understanding, deepen one’s perception of themselves or persuade the audience to feel a certain way, then it should not be played. This followed the Greek ideal that man is the measure of all things. Music was not simply art for pleasure but needed to have a purpose.23 The beliefs of these ancient philosophers was reflected in the musical progress of opera. One of these changes clearly observable in Renaissance music and early operas was the divergence from the concept “music of the spheres.” This was the ancient Greek belief that the universe is logical and parallels the characteristics of musical harmony.24 While many ancient Greek philosophies were used in Renaissance music, the strictly mathematical approach was left as music became more emotional. Ancient philosophers saw and made connections between music, mathematics, and astronomy. Astronomers believed that the harmonies from the spheres provided a model for how earthly music should sound.25 For example, professor of music education George Rogers explains, “Pythagoras discovered that musical intervals, and hence all harmony, are based on mathematical ratios, ratios that also, amazingly, appear in astronomy.”26 Music was strictly a mathematical concept for the ancient Greeks, and it appeared to them that the universe naturally ordained musical harmony. Renaissance music, however, shifted from this cosmological view of music to an anthropological one. Music was viewed as less nebulous and from the heavens and became something 21 Cohen, 14. 22 Cohen, 15. 23 Cohen, 16. 24 Rogers, 41. 25 Rogers, 41. 26 Rogers, 42.
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