Dante's Journey to Polyphony

'Dante's Journey to Polyphony is innovative, original, and well researched. Francesco Ciabattoni's deep knowledge of music, musicology, and literature breaks new ground in the field of Dante and music.' -- Alessandro Vettori, Associate Professor of Italian and Comparative Literature, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey 'Incorporating the most recent musicological and philological research, Ciabattoni takes a fresh new look at the Divine Comedy and reveals that Dante's use of the different styles of music is a carefully calculated, integrated, and essential component of the pilgrim's voyage. Brilliantly reasoned and beautifully written.' -- Timothy J. McGee, Faculty of Music, University of Toronto

In Dante's Journey to Polyphony, Francesco Ciabattoni's erudite analysis sheds light on Dante's use of music in the Divine Comedy.

In Dante's Journey to Polyphony, Francesco Ciabattoni's erudite analysis sheds light on Dante's use of music in the Divine Comedy. Following the work's musical evolution, Ciabattoni moves from the cacophony of Inferno through the monophony of Purgatory, to the polyphony of Paradise and argues that Dante's use of sacred songs constitutes a thoroughly planned system. Particular types of music accompany the pilgrim's itinerary and reflect medieval theories regarding sound and the sacred.

Combining musicological and philological scholarship, this book analyzes Dante's use of music in conjunction with the form and content of his verse, resulting in a cross-discipline analysis also touching on Italian Studies, Medieval Studies, and Cultural History. After moving from infernal din to heavenly harmony, Ciabattoni's final section addresses the music of the spheres, a theory that enjoyed great diffusion among the early middle ages, inspiring poets and philosophers for centuries.