Welcome!
An introduction to myself and to this substack
Dear Reader,
Hello, and welcome to my substack on Western music. I am Aatman Vakil, an economist-in-training currently working at the American Enterprise Institute.1
I am also an incorrigible consumer and performer of Western music, with my core passions being music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods as well as opera across the ages. Along with economics, I majored in music at the University of Chicago. My key research interests were the operas of Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) and the many musical innovations happening in the early 17th century. I also enjoyed performing in theVocal Studies Program, Early Music Ensemble, andMotet Choir.
In this substack, I talk about my favorite topics from the history and theory of Western music, in an effort towards developing a greater understanding of music both in myself and in my readers.
My inspiration comes from an ongoing dichotomy in music between speculative music theory and practical music. Guido of Arezzo, an 11th-century music pedagogue, put forth a harsh distinction between musicians and performers:2
Musicorum et cantorum magna est distancia Isti dicunt, illi sciunt quae componit musica. Nam qui facit quod non sapit diffinitur bestia.
This translates to:3
Between musicians and cantors (singers), great is the difference. The latter (merely) perform, while the former know, what music truly is. For he who does without understanding is akin to a mere beast.
Guido’s emphasis on knowing the science and philosophy of music was vital to medieval musical thought, drawing from its Ancient Greek roots. This highly theoretical, rationalist tradition was increasingly paired with a practical one, focused on empirically testing sounds, learning instruments, and demonstrating music. While Guido was clearly partial to the Musicus, his major contributions to music include vital practical pedagogical guides more suited to a Cantor.
This dichotomy pre-existed Guido and persisted for centuries after his demise. Even today, thousands of children learn to perform this music but soon abandon it; they were never taught to understand it. Classical Music is not accessible to various audiences and performers today, partly because we have too many cantors but not enough musicians. This is true especially of early music, my area of interest.
While I am no accomplished Musicus in the Guidonian sense, this substack is my humble contribution to expanding knowledge and therefore interest in the music that makes me tick. Together, we will explore topics ranging from plainchant and the earliest examples of polyphony, to Renaissance madrigals and motets, to 19th-century grand opera. I hope to push you into the arms of La Musica, sending you onto your journey of musical inquiry.
Best regards,
Aatman
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The views expressed in this substack are my own, and do not necessarily reflect those of the American Enterprise Institute
Guido of Arezzo, Regulae Rhythmicae (ca. 1025 A.D.)
My modification of various available translations