La pratica eterofonica nell’accompagnamento del canto: una lettura di Pl., Leg., 7, 812d-e

The Heterophonic Practice in the Accompaniment of Song: A Reading of Pl., Leg., 7, 812d-e · This article offers a reading of the remarkable passage from Plato’s Laws which contains the only occurrence of the word ἑτεροφωνία in a musical context and is the most detailed account known to us of ancient instrumental accompaniment (namely on the lyre) to songs. The terms used by Plato for describing the practical aspects of heterophony are discussed in the light of the evidence we can gather from other sources (e.g., the pseudo-Aristotelian Problems) and the achievements of modern musicological and ethno-musicological research. The case is made that Plato’s rejection of heterophony has less to do with ethical and political reasons than with the need to ensure that young pupils do not face overwhelming difficulties in the early stages of their musical education.