Divining the Oracle: Monteverdi's Seconda Prattica

By Massimo Ossi

Claudio Monteverdi's historical position in music has been compared to that of Shakespeare in literature: almost exact contemporaries, each worked from traditional beginnings to transform nearly every genre he attempted. In this book, Massimo Ossi delves into the most significant aspect of Monteverdi's career: the development, during the first years of the 17th century, of a new compositional style he called the seconda prattica or second manner. found himself at the centre of a debate between defenders of Renaissance principles and the newest musical currents of the time. The principles of the seconda prattica, Ossi argues in this sophisticated analysis of Monteverdi's writings, music and texts, were in fact much more significant to the course of Monteverdi's career than previously thought by modern scholars - not only did they affect Monteverdi's output for the rest of his life, but as his works became widely known they influenced subsequent composers more than is often imagined. clear way and in terms of pure music; his book should enhance our understanding of Monteverdi as one of the most significant figures in western music history.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0226638839
• ISBN13: 9780226638836
• Release Date: July 2003
• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Length: 298 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.2" x 9.3"