This book investigates the practical application of basso continuo accompaniment in Italian music across two centuries. Giulia Nuti, drawing on her expertise in historical performance practice, analyzes the challenges presented by sparse notation in seventeenth and eighteenth-century Italian keyboard music. The study focuses on deriving performance practices from the music itself, offering solutions for contemporary musicians grappling with the interpretive freedom inherent in basso continuo. It examines how stylistic conventions and performer discretion shaped the realization of these accompaniments.

The Authority Perspective: This scholarly work is recognized for its detailed examination of a crucial aspect of historical music performance. It addresses the complexities of interpreting basso continuo, offering a performance-derived methodology for understanding stylistic choices. The book is likely to be valued by musicologists, performers, and students specializing in Italian Baroque and Classical music.