Description
Book SynopsisA comedy of Aristophanes was in large measure a musical performance, and his lyric verse covers a wide range of styles - from popular song to parody of tragedy. The music is lost, and our only way of recovering something of the experience of an Athenian audience is by studying the rhythms of the poetry. This book provides a full text, with scansions, of the lyric of the surviving plays, and an introduction to the different rhythms used by Aristophanes, their origins, and literary associations. Dr Parker pays particular attention to showing the role played by lyric metre in the structure of the plays and to distinguishing the different levels of musical style, thus illustrating the integral part metre plays in Aristophanes'' dramatic art and satire. She also discusses fully the metrical aspects of textual problems in Aristophanes'' lyric, and a section of the introduction traces the evolution of the study of Aristophanes'' metres and the influence this has on the text.
Trade ReviewA major addition to the specialist literature on the author ... There is an enormous amount of scrupulous, carefully pondered scholarship here, used to highlight both large scale features ... and the rhythmic effects of particular passages ... Parker's work represents a superb achievement; it will be indispensable to all who want to pick the finer threads in the fabric of Aristophanic comedy. * Greece & Rome *
This book testifies to extraordinary scholarly zeal, offering an abundance of detailed analyses, observations and readings of all lyric passages in Aristophanes' complete works ... the book provides a good insight into the metrical techniques employed in the comedies of this period ... By giving the book a clear structure and by offering a comprehensive study of Aristophanes' poetry and to some extent of the entire Attic poetry of the time, Parket has successfully provided us with another commendable basis for research. * Christoph Kugelmeier, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *
The explanatory text is highly readable because of its refreshingly low amount of footnotes. Important quotations and bibliographical references are integrated into the text, giving the impression of a lively discussion ... Parker incorporates her scholarly knowledge into the discussion and evaluates opposing views only where absolutely vital. She offers sensitive observations and readings without ever exceeding the self-imposed limits. * Christoph Kugelmeier, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *
