Gioseffo Zarlino’s Esthetics

Since Monteverdi’s time, Zarlino has generally been held as the leading upholder of the prima practica tradition, against which the expressive ideals of the secunda practica reacted. However, an investigation of his 3major theoretical works–Instituzioni armoniche, Dimonstrazioni armoniche, and Sopplimenti musicali –reveals that Zarlino anticipated the expressive theories of the Florentine Camerata.