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 a brand new piece, "Hymn to Gaia"- performed on a recreation of the ancient Greek kithara!
In Greek mythology, Gaia is the personification of the Earth. Gaia is the ancestral mother of all life. In the middle of the melody, featuringly the intensely 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), I attempt to evoke a feeling of the relentless generation of life on Earth by spontaneously improvising intertwining threads of melodic movement...
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!
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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