Scenalem speciem, patrum, matrumque, deorumque,
Inficiunt, coguntque suo fluitare colore[598].”
2. The Orchestra was a considerable space in the centre of the theatre, part of which was allotted for the seats of the [pg 343]senators. The remainder was occupied by those who played upon musical instruments, whose office it was, in the performance both of tragedies and comedies, to give to the actors and audience the tone of feeling which the dramatic parts demanded. In tragedies, the music invariably accompanied the Chorus. It was not, however, confined to the Chorus; but appears to have been also in the monologues, and perhaps in some of the most impassioned parts of the dialogue; for Cicero tells of Roscius, that he said, when he grew older, he would make the music play slower, that he might the more easily keep up with it[599]. I do not, however, believe, that comedy was a musical performance throughout: Mr Hawkins, after quoting a number of authorities to this purpose, concludes, “that comedy had no music but between the acts, except, perhaps, occasionally in the case of marriages and sacrifices, if any such were represented on the stage[600].”
Every play had its own musical prelude, which distinguished it from others, and from which many of the audience at once knew what piece was about to be performed[601]. The chief musical instruments employed in the theatre were the tibiæ, or flutes, with which the comedies of Terence are believed to have been represented. The Andria is said to have been acted, “Tibiis paribus, dextris et sinistris;”—the Eunuch, “Tibiis duabus dextris;”—the Heautontimorumenos, on its first appearance, “Tibiis imparibus;” on its second, “Duabus dextris;”—the Adelphi, “Tibiis sarranis;”—the Hecyra, “Tibiis paribus,”—and the Phormio, “Tibiis imparibus.” It thus appears, that the theatrical flutes were classed as “dextræ et sinistræ,” and also as “pares et impares,” and that there were likewise “Tibiæ Serranæ,” or “Sarranæ,” to which, it is believed, the Phrygiæ were opposed. There has been much dispute, however, as to what constituted the distinction between these different sets of pipes. Scaliger thinks, that the “Tibiæ dextræ et sinistræ” were formed by cutting the reed into two parts: that portion which was next to the root making the left, and that next to the top the right flute.—whence the notes of the former were more grave, and those of the latter more acute[602]. Mad. Dacier, however, is of opinion, that flutes were denominated right and left from the valves, in playing, being stopped with the right or left hand. There is [pg 344]still more difficulty with regard to the “Tibiæ pares et impares.” Some persons conjecture, that the Tibiæ pares were a set of two or more pipes of the same pitch in the musical scale, and Impares such as did not agree in pitch[603]. The opinion, that flutes were called Pares when they had an even, and Impares when an odd number of valves, is not inconsistent with this notion; nor with that adopted by Dempster[604], that the difference depended on their being equal or unequal distances between the valves. It may be also reconciled with the idea of Salmasius, that when the same set of flutes were employed, as two right or two left, a play was said to be acted Tibiis paribus; and, when one or more right with one or more left were used, it was announced as performed Tibiis imparibus. This idea, however, of Salmasius, is inconsistent with what is said as to the Andria being acted with equal flutes right and left; unless, indeed, we suppose, with Mad. Dacier, that this is to be understood of different representations, and that the flutes were of the same description at each performance, but were sometimes a set of right, and at other times a set of left flutes.
As to the Tibiæ Serranæ, some have supposed that they were so called from Serra, since they produced the sharp grating sound occasioned by a saw[605]; some, that they were denominated Sarranæ from Sarra, a city in Phœnicia, where such flutes are believed to have been invented[606]; and others, that they derived their name from Sero to lock; because in these flutes, there were valves or stops which opened and shut alternately[607]. It is only farther known, that the Tibiæ Serranæ belonged to the class called Pares, and the Phrygiæ, to which they were opposed, to that styled Impares.
All flutes, of whatever denomination, were extremely simple in the commencement of the dramatic art at Rome. Their form was plain, and they had but few notes. In progress of time, however, they became more complex, and louder in their tones[608].
Several chorded instruments were also used in the orchestra, as the lyre and harp, and in later times an hydraulic organ was introduced. This instrument, which is described in the Organon of Pub. Optatianus, emitted a sound which was produced from air created by the concussion of water. Cornelius Severus, in his poem of Ætna, alludes to it, under the name of Cortina—
“Carmineque irriguo magni Cortina Theatri
Imparibus numerosa modis canit arte regentis,
Quæ tenuem impellens animam subremigat undam[609].”