Abstract

One of the principal arguments in Vincenzo Galilei's musical theoretical works is concerned with the intonations. He contests his former teacher Gioseffo Zarlino's theory on the intonation in vocal music of their time. Zarlino advocated the just intonation as a new system which can replace the Pythagorean intonation. His theory, however, conserves the concept of music as a mathematical discipline, while it respects an aural judgment. Galilei, on the other hand, assumes a more empirical attitude and criticizes Zarlino's metaphysically systematized doctrine. Galilei fully takes into consideration the practical problems which can arise in performance, at the same time he frankly acknowledges a difficulty in describing and demonstrating all matters of music with words or numbers. While the number, beside the sound, forms the basis of music in Zarlino's theory, Galilei treats the number as a means to examine the physical nature of the sound. Concerning Galilei's motive for discussing the intonations, I point out that various modifications on the lute were done in his time and that he considered the intonation as an element which influences the expression of the affetti, particularly in instrumental music which according to him was not inferior to vocal music