Long underestimated and often misunderstood, Nicola Vicentino’s L’antica musica ridotta alla moderna prattica (Rome 1555) is a fundamental treatise on 16th-century music, musical practice and music theory. The new critical digital edition will provide innovative access to this important source of Renaissance musical thought.
The project aims to explore the historical, intellectual and musical context in which Nicola Vicentino (1510–1577) worked, investigating the reception and impact of his revolutionary ideas and his considerations on the musical practice of his time, particularly with regard to the rediscovery of ancient chromatic and enharmonic theories. To this goal, the project “Vicentino21” will realize a new digital critical edition of L’antica musica ridotta alla moderna prattica (Rome 1555) and of Vicentino’s music, available online in open access. Translations (in German and English), commentaries (in German, English and Italian) and multimedial materials will provide a new sonic image of Vicentino’s musical production, truly spectacular and unparalleled for its harmonic and melodic audacity. These outcomes will offer a new approach to reconsider this important composer and his innovative ideas.