Il mito dell’Italia cantante dalla Francia illuminista alla Germania romantica

Résumé

The article explores the historical construction of the myth of Italy as the “land of song” from its Renaissance origins to its reinterpretation in nineteenth-century Europe. Initially grounded in the close relationship between language and music and reinforced by the spread of opera, this image was shaped in the eighteenth century by travel literature and French aesthetic debates, which emphasized Italians’ natural inclination toward singing. In the nineteenth century, German musicology reframed this stereotype within its own nationalist perspective, reducing Italian musical culture to vocal expression while promoting German instrumental music as more profound. The study highlights how this shift was influenced not only by aesthetic considerations but also by the commercial interests of the music publishing industry.