Music of the Ancient Sumerians, Egyptians, and Greeks

CD Review: Music of the Ancient Sumerians, Egyptians, and Greeks (new expanded edition) by Ensemble De Organographia (Pandourion Records 2006 – orig. 1999)




This is a truly wonderful CD where authentic musical fragments (some with recently deciphered notation) are played with instruments built by the performers to be exact replicas of those found in museums. Some of the music is a little slow and boring perhaps but most of it is quite good and very listenable. Some is even inspiring and nicely intricate. The Hurrian Hymns come from recent archaeological discoveries of musical documents from Iraq and Syria in the last several decades. Most of those are from around 1225 BCE with one as old as 1950 BCE. One has chanted vocals and is very nice. The Greek Music is very good and one song has a flute trill that reminds me of spiraling particles – amazing! A song of excerpts relating to Eros and Aphrodite is very good, Another is as inspiring as any rock anthem. There is a Greek piece with bagpipes that really rocks and the soud of the double reed pipes is awesome. The use of the sistrum – a metal shaking instrument of Egyptian origin is played on both Greek and Egyptian pieces and sounds fantastic. One of my favorite pieces on the CD is the Theban Banquet Scene from 14th century BC Egypt – a very inspiring tune.


Ensemble De Organographia is Gayle Stuwe Neuman on strings, voice, percussion and Philip Neuman on winds, strings, percussion, and voice. No other musicians are mentioned. Instruments used are lyres, aulos (double reed pipes), a bagpipe known from at least the first century BC, barrel drum, terra cotta and bronze bells, wooden clappers, conch shell, droning double reed pipes, echeia (earthenware bowls), frame drum, clay goblet drum, harp, hourglass drum, kithara lyre, wooden clappers, Greek cymbals, Egyptian long-necked lute, Egyptian beads, sistrum, panpipe tubes called a syrinx monokalamos, three-holed vertical flute, other lutes, drums, two-holed whistle, and a metal trumpet patterned after a silver one found in the tomb of King Tut.


Apparently some of the Sumero-Babylonian musical notation had to be interpreted to some extent. Only 4 of the pieces on the whole CD are thought to be complete. Others are fragments. One piece from 1950 BCE Ugarit is thought to be the oldest surviving musical notation. It is a Hymn to the King Lipit-Istar, King of Justice, Wisdom, and Learning.


Really this is awesome music – as good as any ethnic, folk, or new age music out nowadays. I look forward to hearing more of this ensemble and discovering more ancient music – whether real found songs or composed music played with traditional period instruments. The best word to describe this music is - exquisite. Other words that come to mind are - relaxing - and -pleasant -.