"Istitutioni harmoniche"

"Istitutioni Harmoniche" is a treatise written by the renowned Italian composer and theorist Giovanni Maria Artusi in 1600. It addresses the principles of musical harmony and composition, emphasizing the importance of consonance—pleasing combinations of sounds—and proper voice leading. Artusi critiques certain experimental practices of his time, advocating for clarity and balance rooted in the musical rules established by earlier theorists like Pythagoras and Zarlino. Essentially, the work provides a systematic discussion on how to create harmonious music that sounds natural and aesthetically pleasing, serving as an important foundation for Western music theory.