Atrium Musicae de Madrid - Gregorio Paniagua
Musique De La Grèce Antique

THE REVIEW

Atrium Musicae de Madrid - dir. Gregorio Paniagua - Harmonia Mundi, 1979

I bought this record a few years ago, driven by an interest in the discovery of the origins of Western Music. Tracing back to the earliest forms of Monodic Singing, I thought this was the limit of such origins, at least for the discographic production.

I am not a musicologist nor, for that matter, a music historian, but as a layperson, I sensed the scarcity of sources on Ancient Greek Music, if only because I can't recall ever noticing specific artifacts (papyrus or the like) in the museums one can visit from time to time.

Reading here and there, I discovered the presence of in-depth studies on the subject, especially with reference to the social aspects of Music in Ancient Greece and its undeniable effects on early Christian musical culture.

The tracks on this CD can only be a reconstruction, precisely due to the paucity of sources: fragments of hymns, poems, and epitaphs.
This reconstruction, however, is carried out with a skill at least equal to the seriousness and artistic quality of the performers who undertook this project.

The Atrium Musicae of Madrid and, specifically, the Paniagua family are considered specialists in the repertoire of Ancient Music. Each of their artistic productions is rightly praised for its expressed value.

Unfortunately, the scant notes in the booklet included in the CD do not allow for a full understanding of the effort made, which extends not only to the execution methods and arrangements but also to the reconstruction of ancient instruments (refer to the recommended link for further details).

When listening, expect something very different, so unique that most will consider it unlistenable: pieces with dissonant and sinister melodic cues, choral laments accompanied by string, wind, or percussion instruments, chanting monodies, brief silences, and rapid instrumental inserts filling textual gaps, sounds, by the way, certainly closer to ancient Eastern tradition than Western.

This is a work for the few, surely for the most courageous and curious, yet fundamental for discovering one's musical origins.

It's all presented with an excellent recording which, even if not very recent, provides the right level of clarity, detail, dynamics, and authenticity.