[Trombone-l] Melos

[George Butler]

Hi Dan,
 
>From Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language, second edition, unabridged, 1934:
 
melos:  noun. [Greek, song]  Music.  Song or melody; esp., tone succession considered apart from rhythm; __ applied by Wagner to the expressive, songlike element in the symphony, and by English and American writers to the vocal (sometimes to the orchestral) parts of Wagner's later operas.
 
The goddess of love Aphrodite was from Melos, the old name for the Greek island Milos, in the Aegean Sea.  (You know, Venus de Milo.)  
 
If you google it, you'll find all kind of ensembles that use the name, including the Melos Brass.  It's a brand name for a rosin as well.  There's a renaissance keyboard instrument, (an organ?), that is known as the dulce melos. 

George Butler
Tallinn, Estonia

--- On Sun, 2/22/09, Dan Thornton <dan at dethornton.com> wrote:

From: Dan Thornton <dan at dethornton.com>
Subject: [Trombone-l] Melos
To: "'Trombone List'" <trombone-l at samford.edu>
Date: Sunday, February 22, 2009, 9:32 AM

Maybe someone here can help me. What is the meaning of "Melos"?

"The King and I" and "Oliver" both include a number called
"Melos". I can't
find a definition anywhere.

MTC: The bone part in Oliver is fun. The multiple mutes, growls, and flutter
tonguing is new territory for me.

Dan


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