Luigi Rossi | Teoria Musicale.pdf

For Rossi, modulation is the engine of musical narrative. He categorizes modulations based on their distance from the tonic. Modulations to closely related keys ( toni vicini ) are treated as natural extensions of the home key, while modulations to distant keys ( toni lontani ) are viewed as dramatic events requiring specific preparatory maneuvers.

To understand Rossi’s Teoria Musicale , one must first appreciate the Italian theoretical landscape of the early 20th century. Unlike the German tradition, heavily influenced by Hugo Riemann’s functional harmony (Tonic, Subdominant, Dominant), the Italian school retained strong links to the Partimento tradition—a pedagogical method rooted in keyboard improvisation and basso continuo. Luigi Rossi Teoria Musicale.pdf

And beneath it, in a hand not her own: “Elena Marchese, continuata.” For Rossi, modulation is the engine of musical narrative