Music and Cultural Identity. The Contribution of «Italian» Music to the Birth of a Pan-European Culture

Insofar as it is readily understood, music has often proved to be an easily exportable cultural asset, capable of building bridges, being inclusive, arousing or enhancing a sense of belonging to a group, nation or supranational area, and thus contributing to a transnational identity. Therefore, knowing our musical roots can help us understand who we are and better understand our cultural identity. The reasons for the cohesive power and emotional impact of music have always been questioned (from ancient Greek philosophers to modern neuroscientists). What seems evident and is continuously reconfirmed by musicological research is that music has always been exported and widely circulated since its origins. In the light of these premises and through the examination of some emblematic cases of musical circulation and assimilation, this article reflects on the contribution that music produced on the Italian peninsula has made to the genesis of a pan-European musical idiom over the last four centuries. In particular, it examines the European circulation of different categories of musical operators of Italian origin (composers, chapel masters, musicians, singers, but also librettists, set designers, music theorists), and that of music materials of Italian origin (music books, books on music, musical instruments). In addition, the phenomenon of the circulation and widespread European dissemination of musical terminology of Italian origin was examined, with emphasis on some particularly significant stages.