Sounding the Bookshelf 1501: Music in a Year of Italian Printed Books

Abstract

This volume explores how everyday texts in Renaissance Italy engaged with music, sound, and hearing. Of the 358 known editions printed in 1501, only a few contained formal music notation or specialist theory. Yet a surprising wealth of musical knowledge emerges from religious texts, classical commentaries, lifestyle guides, poetry, and more. These sources—rarely penned by professional musicians—reflect the broader cultural presence of music in early 16th-century life, touching on themes like music’s moral influence, its role in education, and its scientific understanding.

Drawing from an ambitious cross-disciplinary survey, this groundbreaking study repositions everyday references to music as vital to understanding Renaissance musical culture. It challenges scholars to look beyond elite and theoretical traditions, and instead engage with the rich, often-overlooked world of non-specialist musical discourse.

Set against the backdrop of 1501—a landmark year when Ottaviano Petrucci revolutionized music printing—this book offers a compelling snapshot of how music was understood and discussed by ordinary readers in Renaissance Italy. By sounding out these diverse voices, the project reimagines the contours of music history and opens new avenues for musicological inquiry.