Hearing music theory - Hermann von Helmholtz and the Greek ancient world

The article offers a reading of the passages on Greek music theory in Hermann von Helmholtz's book On the Sensations of Tone as a Physiological Basis for the Theory of Music. Helmholtz understands the discussion of tonal systems in Greek theory to be a theory of tuning. According to Helmholtz, it is the capacity of the ear which guided Greek musicians and theorists in their search for viable tuning systems for the lyre. This points to his theory of hearing, which is more efficient in the explanation of hearing simultaneous sounds, than melodic sequence. The process of tuning thus involves the ear in the way that fits best with his resonance theory, as is shown in a comparison between the first and third editions (1863 and 1870). Greek theory enables the modern reader to observe function of the ear under ideal conditions. The Greek authors discuss distinctions that seem indistinguishable to readers who are used to equal temperament. Helmholtz's readers, in turn, have read this as a suggestion for aesthetic experimentation.