Where Aristotle's Poetics Met Ancient Theory of Music: Girolamo Mei's Aesthetics

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26370109
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Aesthetics and studies on art
• Research Institution: Seijo University
• Principal Investigator: TSUGAMI Eske 成城大学, 文芸学部, 教授 (80197657)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: メーイ，ジローラモ / アリストテレース『詩学』 / プトレマイオス『調和論』

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Girolamo Mei (1519-1594) was the first scholar to combine the tradition of ancient music theory and that of Aristotle Poetics, which two had strangely remained unrelated to each other up to his time. He achieved this combination by interpreting the striking emotional effect of the Greek tragedy upon its spectator, as was known from the Poetics, based on what he understood as the Greek theory of the modes. This presupposes one more interpretation, that is, the view of the ancient tragedy as sung from beginning to end, which he concluded from his close analysis of the Poetics. The result was his modern aesthetics of effect, as opposed to the prevalent poietics.

Free Research Field

美学