- Flaccus (composer)
Flaccus is a
composer from thesecond century BC , of whom little is known. He was either afreedman or a slave of one ofTerence 's patrons and wrotemusic al scores for Terence's comedies (playing or composing music was no occupation for a freecitizen ). Terence mentions him specifically in the opening "didascalia" to each of his comedies, and in addition mentions the type of double reed pipe to be used in each. Some further commentary on the musical modes employed has puzzled scholars: it is not known whether Terence refers to melodies or musical metres.Flaccus has the distinction of being the only composer of
Ancient Rome of whom any music is alleged to remain. A musical phrase accompanying a single line of Terence's play "Hecyra " was copied in theeighteenth century by Italian composerArcangelo Corelli from a10th century manuscript ; however, musicologist Thomas J. Mathiesen comments that it is no longer believed to be authentic.References
*
* Guenther Wille: "Musica Romana: Die Bedeutung der Musik im Leben der Roemer" (Amsterdam: Schippers, 1967), 158ff, 308ff
* Egert Pöhlmann, ed. "Denkmäler altgriechischer Musik: Sammlung, Übertragung und Erläuterung aller Fragmente und Fälschungen" (Nuremberg, 1970). ISBN 3-418-00031-2 (1971 edition): This book contains the singleneume d line of music.
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.