In 1984, Reinhard Strohm released a groundbreaking book, “Music in Medieval Bruges,” marking the first extensive exploration of a town’s sonic landscape. It was during this time that the term ‘soundscape’ gained traction in musicology, following the earlier publication by Canadian composer Murray Schafer, “Soundscape: Our Sonic Environment and the Tuning of the World” in 1977.
Fast forward to 2023, where I’ve undertaken the task of crafting an article about Naples for a collection that delves into twelve Mediterranean cities during the early modern age. Drawing on recent studies, my aim is to contextualize Naples within the realm of Urban Musicology. Through this lens, I’ll depict Naples as the quintessential music capital of the Mediterranean, presenting a chronological narrative spanning from the late fifteenth-century to contemporary times, incorporating audio and video elements to enrich the exploration of Naples’ musical heritage.