Gaudentius (music theorist)

Gaudentius was a Greek music theorist in Classical Antiquity. Nothing is known of his life or background, or when he lived, except what can be inferred from his sole surviving work, Εἰσαγωγὴ ἁρμονική (English: Harmonic Introduction), a treatise.[1][2][3][4]

Leonhard Schmitz and Karl von Jan say that he seems to have known the writings of Aristoxenus (fl. 335 BCE);[1][2] but Schmitz says, not those of Ptolemy (c. 100-170 CE).[1] Hugo Riemann says he may have been a younger contemporary of Ptolemy.[3]: 20 

Cassiodorus (c. 485-585) praises the treatise, and mentions a contemporary Latin translation for use in schools by one Mutianus,[5] which has not survived.[1][3] The treatise was first printed in 1652 by Marcus Meibomius, together with a commentary and a Latin translation, in his Antiquae musicae auctores septem (English: Ancient Music by Seven Authors).[1][3][6]

References

1. Schmitz, Leonhard (1870). "Gaudentius 1." . In Smith, William (ed.). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Vol. 2. p. 231.
2. Jan, Karl von (1895). "VII - Gaudenti Philosophi Harmonica Introductio". Musici Scriptores Graeci (in Latin). Leipzig: B. G. Teubner. pp. 317–356 – via archive.org. Includes the Greek text of Εἰσαγωγὴ ἁρμονική.
3. Riemann, Hugo (1919). Handbuch Der Musikgeschichte (in German). Vol. 1. Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel. pp. 20, 24, 183, 206 – via archive.org.
4. Strunk, Oliver (1950). Source Readings in Music History. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 87, 89n, 92 – via archive.org.
5. Cassiodorus. "8". Divin. Lect.
6. Meibomius, Marcus (1652). "V. Gaudentii, philosophi, introductio harmonica". Antiquae musicae auctores septem (in Latin). Vol. 1. Amsterdam: Lodewijk Elzevir. pp. 1–40. (Page numbering within the chapter.)

Further reading

• Michaelides, Solon (1989). Εγκυκλοπαίδεια της αρχαίας Ελληνικής μουσικής [Encyclopedia of Ancient Greek Music] (in Greek). Athens: National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation (MIET). p. 81.
• Zanoncelli, Luisa (1990). La manualistica musicale greca: [Euclide], Cleonide, Nicomaco, Excerpta Nicomachi, Bacchio il Vecchio, Gaudenzio, Alipio, Excerpta Neapolitana (in Italian). Milan: Ed. Ang. Guerini. pp. 305–369.
• Kalogeropoulos, Takis (1998). Το λεξικό της Ελληνικής Μουσικής [The Dictionary of Greek Music] (in Greek). Vol. 1. Athens: Giallelis. p. 445.
• Mathiesen, Thomas (3 June 1998). Strunk, Oliver; Treitler, Leo (eds.). Source Readings in Music History (Revised ed.). New York. pp. 66–85. ISBN 978-0393037524.
• Mathiesen, Thomas J. (20 January 2001). "Gaudentius". The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.10740. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0.

External links

• Gaudentius (1895). "Gaudence - Introduction harmonique". Collections des auteurs grecs relatifs à la musique (in French). Vol. 5 - Atypius et Gaudence, Bacchius L'Ancien. Ruelle, Ch.-Émile (translator and editor); Szwajcer, Marc (editor). Paris: Imprimerie nationale – via remacle.org. A French translation of Εἰσαγωγὴ ἁρμονική, with commentary.