Mixolidian lad

The structure of the mixolidian fret

In the ancient Greek system, the modern mixolidian mode was called differently - hypophrygian or hyperlidian (which is the same thing), thus reflecting the pattern of its formation. The octave was divided into two identical tetrachords , to which a connecting tone was added. In the ancient Greek system, there were three main modes, where the connecting tone was placed between tetrachords, but besides them there were other modes: in this tone there were either up to two tetrachords (the mode received the prefix “hypo”) or after (such mode received the prefix “ hyper-"). So the Phrygian (then) tetrachord had the following structure ^[3] :

Duplication of the Phrygian tetrachord with the addition of a connective tone at the beginning yielded a hypofrigian, now mixolid, fret ^[3] :

However, the mixolidian mode could also be obtained using the Lydian tetrachord ^[3] :

Duplication of the Lydian tetrachord with the addition of a connective tone at the end resulted in a hyperlidian, now also mixolidian , lad ^[3] :

An example of a mixolidian fret from tonic salt: listen

Ethical meaning

The ancient Greeks were very sensitive to the musical fret : they experienced every fret with a certain ethical and aesthetic content. So, Aristotle divides frets into ethical , practical and enthusiastic ^[4] . He calls practical those modes that excite and strengthen the human will and desire for action. According to Aristotle, this also includes the Hypofrigian one - “the mode of rapid active force” ^[4] .

Each tribe performed with its own national music, and each tribe had its own favorite musical mood ^[4] . The pituitary fret was not so widespread in ancient Greece . Just as the Aeolian fret approached the Dorian fret in its “ethos” over time and became known as the Hypodoric fret , so the Ionian fret , originally independent, was brought closer to the Phrygian (then) in the era of converting tonalities into a single scheme, and this modification of the Ionian became called hypophrygian mode ^[5] . The hydroformists, avlets and any musicians inclined to Orchestic (choral) compositions began to use the Hypophrygian mode ^[4] , however, Aristotle considered this mode non-specific for the choir, as it contains the least number of tunes that the chorus needs the most ^[5] .

Aristotle claims that the hypofrigian mode is unsuitable for tragic modes precisely because of its non-melodic nature, and even calls this mode “imitative” ^[5] . But, again, it was only Aristotle who first spoke of the “practical ethos” of the hypophrygian fret, however, by his time all the tonalities had been merged into one scale, and the Phrygian (then) fret with its excitement managed to affect the relaxed softness of the Ionian fret. Then it becomes clear why, for Aristotle, the hypofrigian way is not suitable for choirs, but suitable for solo performances in tragedy, and why love and table lyrics could completely preserve the old Ionian mode ^[5] .

However, in the music of ancient Greece , along with the hypophrygian fret, there was a concept of a separate mixolidian fret. Plato refers this mood to the group of ethics , that is, those that, on the contrary, destroy the balance of mental life ^[4] . He very clearly feels the phrenetism of that Miksolidian fret, believing such a mode to be deplorable, corresponding to the female, and not the male psyche ^[5] .

The then-mixolidian mood was clearly experienced as a passionately plaintive , opposite to the hypolidic fret . Plutarch writes that the mixolidian spirit is also pathetic and suitable for tragedies. Aristoxen claims that the first invented the mixolidian mode of Sappho , and his tragic poets learned from her. Having borrowed it, they combined this mood with then Dorian (that is, now with Phrygian), since the latter possesses pomp and seriousness, and the former, mixolidian, has a pathetic character, the tragedy is a mixture of both ^[5] .

In Mixolidian, that is, mixed-Lydian, lies a mixture of pure Lydian and Dorian. This mood was well suited to the tragedy, especially to those places (both in the choirs and in the monodies), where the horror of the catastrophe was expressed. Aristotle writes that pity, quietness and melodiousness have other ways, in particular, the mixolidic one, which is why he approaches the choirs ^[5] . Judging by the occupied structures of the scales of other frets, as well as the characteristics of the mixolidian fret, it follows that this concept probably meant the modern Lokrian fret ^[6] (see below).

Church modes represented a single system of modes based on concepts such as ambitus , repercussion, and finalis . Within the framework of this system, each mode was called a tone, had its own number and subspecies. The seventh authentic tone (tetrardus authenticus) began to be called the mixolidian mode (according to Boethius , see the figure below), and the former mixolide mode was called hypofrigian mode ^[3] :

The systematization of Ptolemy’s Greek transpositional scales (transpositions of the “perfect system” that reproduced the names of the modes - Lydian, Phrygian, etc. - but only in the reverse, ascending order) transferred by Boethius to Alia musica was mistakenly accepted by an anonymous medieval author of the 9th century for the systematization of modes, - so the hypophrygian mode remained renamed to mixolidian forever ^[8] .

Mixolidianism

Every fret system of the ancient Greeks was regarded from the point of view of one or another gravitation of tones, and therefore, from the point of view of mode of gravitation. That is, it cannot be argued that the mixolidian (then hypofrigian) mode of Ancient Greece is exclusively modal ; it has its own functional system of tones, different from the usual minor and major ^[9] .

As an example of the mixolidian mode in church hymns, we can cite a fragment of the score “ Kyrie eleison ” of the Mass “Tempore paschali” ^[10] :

In the mixolidian fret from salt, the motet “Prophecies of the Sybil” Orlando di Lasso was written ^[11] :

Fughetta, “These are the Ten Sacred Commandments” from the fourth choral prelude, “The German Organ Mass” by I. S. Bach, is also written in the Mixolidian mode ^[12] .

Soon, with the development of musical history, it became clear that all seven frets are not a feature of specifically Ancient Greece and (then) Gregorian chorales: they are found among many other peoples in different parts of the world. In the Old Russian system, the Lydian tetrachord, which lies at the base of the fret itself, was called " large " ^[13] , a fret built on it, i.e. mixolidian, can be seen in Russian folk songs “About the Tatar is full” ^[14] , “Because of the forest, but the forest of the dark” ^[15] and others.

As an example of the use of the mixolidian fret in Irish folk music, the songs “She Passed through the Fair” can be cited ^[16] and “One May Morning” ^[17] .

In the Indian system of modes ( thats ), the mixolidian mode was called Khamaj ^[18] . In the Arabian system of frets ( makams ) A. Jami there is also a mixolidian fret called “ ushshak ” ^[18] .

In the era of the rule of major and minor ( XVIII – XIX centuries), the “old” modality was almost completely replaced by tonal structures ^[19] . A rare case of using the mixolidian fret occurs, for example, in the middle of the trio III of part III of Beethoven 's symphony No. 1 ^[19] .

The Age of Romanticism

From the era of romanticism of the XIX century, the process of the revival of modality and its gradual emancipation from tonality begins ( Chopin , Glinka , Rimsky-Korsakov , Mussorgsky , Grieg and some other composers). Naturally, in this era, modal frets initially branched out from major and minor — tonal frets, either as derivative frets, or based on a mixture of frets or a kind of “ alteration ” (chromatic change of sounds) of individual chords ^[19] .

The mixolidian way is found in the chorus “Ay, in the field of lime” from Act III of the opera “The Snow Maiden ” by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov ^[20] .

A mixed Lydian-Mixolidian ( Podhalyan ) fret can be heard in the “Island of Joy” ^[20] and in the “Children's Corner” (part 5 - “The Little Shepherd”) K. Debussy ^[21] , partly mixolidian fret is found in the chorus “Who are you leaving us ”from“ Boris Godunov ”and the song“ Sleep, Sleep, Peasant Son ”by M. P. Mussorgsky ^[22] , etc. This fret, typical of Bartok , can be found, for example, in his dance “ eco-ecosis ”, but not as a mixture in the fret structure, but rather as a roll-call (that is, alternation) to the Lidian and pre-mixolid ^[23] :

However, having budged from the tonal-functional system of major and minor, a new modality is rapidly developing towards the maximum possible distance from it and the ultimate detection of modal specificity ( Stravinsky , Bartok, Messian and others) ^[19] .

Mixolidian twentieth century

A powerful incentive to the development of modality in the twentieth century. was given by growing waves of interest in folk music, up to the tendency to quote-accurately reproduce its characteristic features ^[19] .

Examples of using the mixolidian fret can be found in S. S. Prokofiev’s “ Tale of the Fool ” ^[20] , in fugue C-dur No. 1 from the composition “ 24 Preludes and Fugues ” by D. D. Shostakovich ^[25] , in the choir “Kolyada” G.V. Sviridov ^[20] and others.

• Ionian mode
• Dorian mode
• Phrygian fret
• Lydian fret
• Aeolian fret
• Lokrian mode
• Natural frets