Pietro Pontio’s dialogues in translation, digital evaluation and critical reception

The maestro di cappella, composer and music theorist Pietro Pontio (1532-1596), who worked in Parma, Bergamo, Pavia and Milan, published two treatises in dialog format in the years before 1600 that were equally informative for the practice and theory of the time: the “Ragionamento di musica” (1588) and the “Dialogo ove si tratta della theorica e prattica di musica” (1595). Both writings are key texts for how composers of the late Renaissance and early Baroque learned music. Despite their long-lasting reception and undisputed importance, they have never been translated, edited in modern and sustainable critical editions and philologically prepared.

The aim of the “Musico Pratico” project is to provide state-of-the-art access to the sources that can be used for today’s research, music practice and teaching. The complementary expertise of the participating institutions in Basel and Würzburg will interact productively. The project is based on three pillars:

1. Digital edition and translation (German/English) of the two treatises including their music examples. The digital text and music encodings will be created according to the current TEI and MEI standards and presented on customized online infrastructure. All results will be made available open access via this digital platform. Commentaries and a glossary will position Pontio in the musical, music-theoretical, aesthetic and cultural context of his time.
2. Corpus research. Pontio’s musical examples will be analyzed using digital methods, for example with regard to synoptic comparisons of different settings on a cantus firmus, statistical characterizations of the harmonic syntax and exemplary comparisons with works by other composers. Two corpora are defined for this purpose: A) Pontio’s numerous, but only verbally indicated examples of compositions from the 16th century and B) Pontio’s own innovative music examples in comparison with later treatises, which show a similar procedure.
3. Counterpoint didactics. A practical aspect of today’s reception is the source-based development of innovative didactics for teaching of music theory (counterpoint, analysis, improvisation) at conservatories and universities. Through interactive formats and media dissemination, the potential of Pontio’s dialogues, which has long been known among experts, will be made accessible to a wider circle of users. The “Musico Pratico” project envisages a musicological dissertation project in Basel and Würzburg each. Within the framework of a Weave project, the specific expertise of the participating institutions are ideally combined. The broad scope thus combines musicological research, state-of-the-art editing techniques, digital corpus research and artistic-pedagogical practice in an innovative way.