Music and Riddle Culture in the Renaissance

Musical riddles were a common way for composers to express themselves during the Renaissance. This book explores the theory, practice, and cultural context of musical riddles from 1450-1620, focusing on the works of Antoine Busnoys, Jacob Obrecht, Josquin des Prez, and Lodovico Zacconi. It reveals how riddles invite and resist interpretation, imply a process of transformation, and impact their conception, performance, and reception.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 547 pages
\n Publication date: 14 December 2017
\n Publisher: Cambridge University Press
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Throughout the Renaissance, composers sought to express themselves through a language of riddles and puzzles, intricately woven into the music and lyrics of their compositions. This groundbreaking work is the first to explore the theory, practice, and cultural significance of musical riddles during the period spanning c.1450–1620. Katelijne Schiltz delves into the multifaceted aspects of musical riddle culture, examining the compositional, notational, practical, social, and theoretical dimensions from the works of renowned composers such as Antoine Busnoys, Jacob Obrecht, and Josquin des Prez, to the manuscript collection of Canoni musicali by Lodovico Zacconi. Through her meticulous research, Schiltz unveils the enigmatic nature of riddles, their ability to invite and resist interpretation, the transformative processes they imply, and the profound impact these aspects have on the conception, performance, and reception of these musical enigmas. Lavishly illustrated with a comprehensive catalogue of enigmatic inscriptions by Bonnie J. Blackburn, this book appeals to scholars of music, literature, art history, theology, and the history of ideas, offering a rich and captivating perspective on the musical world of the Renaissance.

\n Weight: 932g\n
Dimension: 169 x 246 x 38 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781107442849\n \n