The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-09-10
Ancient MusIcaI instrumental.

Some years ago Captain Wilcox,
when engaged In his researches among
the supposed ruins of Babylon, found
pipe of baked clay about three inches
long, which, by common agreement of
antiquaries, is of Assyrian workman
ship. This little object can hardly be
less than 1900 years old, and is proba-
bly, the most ancient musical instru-
ment in existence. 1t has two finger
holes, and when both of these are closed
and the mouth piece is blown into the
note @ is produced. If only one hole is
closed the sound emitted Is +, and if
both are open G is produced. Thus the
notes of this instrument produces the
tonic the third and the fifth that is, the
intervals of the common chord, the notes
which, sounded together, form what is
termed by musicians the harmonic
triad.
Here is at once established certain
coincidence between our music and that
which must have existed during the
Babylonian captivity coincidence
which to be sure priori reasoning
might go far to establish, but never so
convincingly to non-scientiiic under
standings<a>does the evidence of this
insignificant pipe. The least observant
student of the art remains ndamong
the ruined cities of the Assyrian and
Babylonian plains cannot fail to be
struck with the evidence which they af-
ford OF a strong and widely diffused
musical culture among the kindred
races who inhabited them. The fire.
quent introduction in mural paintings
and bas-reliefs of instruments Of music,
the representations of concerts and long
professions of musicians, the repeated
illusions in the Bible to the musical
habits and skill of the people of Baby
lon. all point to a singular development
OF the art of music. In the opinion of
Rawlinson, the Assyrians were superior
in musical skill. as they were in every
form of culture, to the Egyptians them
selves, and the Assyrio- Babylonian
music was, there is little reason to
doubt, an early and yet highly devel-
oped form of the Asiatic ty pc of music
"a type which possesses to this day
most extensive and most characteristic
developments among the slow changing
nations of Asia. If we are asked for
more positive proofs of the advance of
music among this nation, we point to
the umistakable evidence afforded by
the CONSTITUTIONAL complication of many
of their instruments. We have from
among the ruins of Nineveh countless
varying in number from ten to twenty
six; of the lyre, identical in structure.
though not in shape, with the Tyre of
Greece; and of an instrument differing
from any know n to modern musicians.
1t was harp-shaped, was held horizon
tally, and the strings, six to ten in num-
Der, were struck by plectrum held in
the right hand; it has been called the
asOr. from its resemblance to the Hebrew
instrument of that name. We md
frequent representations of guitar
shaped instrument, and of double
pipe with a single mOuth-piece, and
tinger-holes on each pipe. Besides these
the Assyrians had musical bells, trum-
pets, flutes, drums, cymbals and tam
bornes. Almost every one of these
instruments. either in its original form
or slightly modihed, is in use to this day
by some one Asiatic or African nation.
The ancient Greeks adopted the Tyre
used by the Abyssinians under the name
of kissar Greek, kithara.) The double
pipe the present writer has himself seen
in use by the boatmen OF the Nile. The
guitar of the Abyssinians is probably
identical with the long-necked guitar or
tambora depicted on both Egyptian
and Assyrian monuments, and still in
use all over the East and even in Hin
dostan. The ancient Assyrian harp is
remarkable for not having the front
pillar" which completes the triangle in
the European harp, and this apparent
defect of construction is characteristic
of every sort of harp employed in Asia
at this day. On Assyrian has-reliefs we
find representations of concerts, in
which several of these instruments are
taking part. In one, for instance, we
see seven harps, wo double pipes, a
drum. and the aforementioned asor.-
Neoo Qatdrterlv Md0azine.