Dionysus and Apollo

            To the Greeks music affected almost every aspect of life.  The Greek philosopher felt a need to ponder the various aspects of music and their effect on humanity as individuals, and as a society.  They felt music had both aesthetic and technical qualities that needed to be explained.

            As music had an affect on life, is was seen that it had the potential to have either a good or a bad influence.  As it pleased the listener it could “regulate the soul,” and thus be considered good.  But music could also “over-stimulate” and “distract,” and thus have a bad influence.  The calm and orderliness of Apollo was a part of the good in music, while the irrational and emotional which distracts is represented by the Dionysian, or bad side of music.

            If the musician played music according to pre-conceived guidelines or form, then his or her music was considered good.  If, on the other hand, the musician played for a living, where there was the probability that form would be changed, then there was a distrust or a feeling that the professional was playing “low-class” music.  There was a sense among the higher class that to play merely for pleasure, at the expense of form, was somehow vulgar.

            The instrument of music was not its most important aspect.  Rather, the Greeks saw the text as most important.  Vocal music kept alive the lyrical and poetical, with all its form, and therefore was considered of higher value than mere instrumental music.  It was through the rhythms and patterns of poetry that music obtained the form that the Apollonian side of Greek culture wished to adhere.

            The Dionysian of their culture was in favor of “innovation and novelty;” something to be avoided by the higher class.  It was fine to be original, but not to be creative.  In other words, using the pre-conceived rules in an attempt to create originality was acceptable, but to change the rules in order to be creative was not accepted.  Proportion in music was primary, and knowledge of music and its form was necessary in order to maintain true proportion.  Imitation was considered the basis on which a musician’s work and ability were judged.

            Yet the musician needed to be able to somehow bring the Apollonian and Dionysian sides of music together.  Some feel this is most closely achieved through the use of harmony.  It was felt that harmony was needed to bring form to the Dionysian.  To the Greek, harmony was Apollonian in that it connected brought proportion to the music, and was as “symbol of universal order.”  At the same time it was seen as Dionysian in that it was able to submerge the individual aspects of music into the whole.  Harmony brought together, in an acceptable was, the music of voice and the music of instruments.

            Beauty in art, including music, was seen by the Greeks to have two differing aspects.  One perspective of beauty, which falls in line with the Apollonian way of thinking, was “Kalon.”  This is a Greek word meaning well done, proper, and good.  In this sense, beauty could only be recognized as such if it could be knowable.  And it could only be knowable if it adhered to specific form.  Beauty was a matter of appearance.  Aristotle, who espoused this approach, saw imitation as the best form of creation.  And, it was therefore imitation that provided the guidelines used to judge the beauty of art (music).

            If music simply appealed to the senses it was not necessarily considered beautiful.  According to Plato, however, beauty was a matter of revelation.  Beautiful music would reveal one’s senses to a different level of experience.  This is more of a Dionysian perspective.  Plato saw the recognition of beauty as instructive.  The result of recalling the way we were when originally created.

            Plato saw beauty in the Dionysian sense, but realized that it could be beneficial to humanity in the Apollonian sense.  He felt music could “implant all the virtues” while at the same time realizing it could also be used to “subvert the established social order.”  In the Dionysian sense music was seen as having the potential to educate and even provide therapy.  In other words, being both Apollonian and Dionysian.  As a catharsis music could arouse strong emotion in a person; somehow allowing an emotional release leading to emotional purification.

            The good poet, as composer, was able to capture the mind of the listener through his or her music.  Music was beautiful if it could take the listener to a level where he or she could be purged of trials of life.  Even if only for a little while.