The Sonorous World Of Dante's Commedia

This work investigates exhaustively the musical references in Dante's Commedia. It is a critical survey of their literal and symbolical significance within Dante's narrative. Although Inferno, realm of Anti-Music, apparently only contains noises, there are several parodic referrals to music. Purgatory, where music is a means for purgation, is the canticle which is most specific in its description of actual chants and the way they are sung by the souls. In Paradise reigns superhuman music, therefore it contains numerous musical references, but very few of them are specific and indicate an existing chant: they are above human music. This investigation of the sonorous references in the Commedia has taken into account a historical-musical perspective, as is applied by musicians and musicologists specialized in Early Music.