List of music theorists
This is a List of music theorists arranged in chronological order. The criteria for inclusion relies on publication or (especially with pre-15th century theorists) dissemination of written theoretical work by western musicians, and their inclusion in published books discussing the history of music theory.
Since the categories for music theorists are subdivided by nationality, this list is intended to provide an overview of music theorists and provide for further exploration of the field.
Note that information on some theorists is scant (e.g. those named Anonymous), so that the link goes to the existing treatise(s).
Antiquity
Middle Ages
Renaissance
- Fernand Estevan (early 15th century)
- Giorgio Anselmi (c. 1386 – 1440/43)
- Ugolino of Orvieto (c. 1380 – 1452)
- Antonius de Leno (early 15th century)
- John Hothby (c. 1410 – 1487)
- Johannes Gallicus (c. 1415 – 1473)
- Prosdocimus de Beldemandis (died 1428)
- Johannes Tinctoris (c. 1435 – 1511)
- Bartolomeus Ramis de Pareia (c. 1440 – after 1491)
- Adam von Fulda (1445–1505)
- Johannes Cochlaeus (1449–1552)
- Anonymous 11 (Tractatus de musica plana et mensurabili) (mid-15th century)
- Anonymous 12 (Tractatus de musica) (2nd half of 15th century)
- Franchinus Gaffurius (1451–1522)
- Nicolo Burzò (1453–1528)
- Giovanni Spataro (1458–1541)
- Jacques Lefèvre d'Étaples (Jacobus Faber Stapulensis) (c. 1460 – 1536) Musica libris demonstrata quattuor, Paris 1496
- Domingo Marco Durán (c. 1460 – 1529)
- Erasmus Horicius (c. 1465 – early 16th century)
- Michael Keinspeck (c. 1470 – mid-16th century)
- Lodovico Fogliano (c. 1475 – 1542)
- Johannes Aventinus (1477–1534)
- Pietro Aaron (c. 1480 – c. 1550)
- Nicolaus Wollick (c. 1480 – 1541)
- Melchior Schanppecher (born c. 1480)
- John Tucke (c. 1482 – after 1539)
- Martin Agricola (1486–1556)
- Heinrich Glarean (1488–1563)
- Georg Rhau (1488–1548)
- Giovanni Del Lago (c. 1490 – 1544)
- Giovanni Maria Lanfranco (c. 1490 – 1545)
- Andreas Ornithoparchus (born c. 1490)
- Bonaventura da Brescia (late 15th century)
- Guilelmus Monachus (late 15th century)
- Guillermo de Podio (late 15th century)
- Sylvestro di Ganassi dal Fontego (Silvestro Ganassi) (c. 1492 – mid-16th century)
- Stephanus Vanneo (1493–1535)
- Sebald Heyden (1499–1561)
- Heinrich Faber (before 1500–1552)
- Simon de Quercu (early 16th century)
- Vicente Lusitano (16th century)
- Auctor Lampadius (c. 1500 – 1559)
- Adrianus Petit Coclico (c. 1500 – 1562)
- Juan Bermudo (c. 1510 – 1565)
- Nikolaus Listenius (born c. 1510)
- Ghiselin Danckerts (c. 1510 – after 1565)
- Diego Ortiz (c. 1510 – 1570)
- Nicola Vicentino (1511–1576)
- Francisco de Salinas (1513–1590)
- Gioseffo Zarlino (1517–1590)
- Girolamo Mei (1519–1594)
- Aiguino de Brescia (1520–1581)
- Vincenzo Galilei (late 1520–1591)
- Hermann Finck (1527–1558)
- Francisco de Montanos (c. 1528 – after 1592)
- Ercole Bottrigari (1531–1612)
- Pietro Pontio (1532–1595)
- Gallus Dressler (1533 – c. 1580/89)
- Orazio Tigrini (c. 1535 – 1591)
- Giovanni Maria Artusi (c. 1540 – 1613)
- Giulio Caccini (c. 1545 – 1618)
- Cyriacus Schneegass (1546–1597)
- Philibert Jambe de Fer (fl. 1548–1564)
- Claudius Sebastiani (active mid-16th century)
- John Wylde (mid-15th century)
- Riccardo Rognoni or Rogniono (c. 1550 – 1620), Passaggi per potersi esercitare nel diminuire Venice 1592
- Pierre Maillart (1550–1622)
- Scipione Cerreto (c. 1551 – 1633)
- Elway Bevin (c. 1554 – 1638)
- Girolamo Diruta (c. 1554 – after 1610)
- Jean Yssandon (c. 1555 – 1582)
- Lodovico Zacconi (1555–1627)
- Sethus Calvisius (1556–1615)
- Johannes Nucius (c. 1556 – 1620)
- Thomas Morley (c. 1557 – 1602)
- Claudius Sebastiani (fl. 1557-65)
- Adam Gumpeltzhaimer (1559–1625)
- Giovanni Luca Conforti (c. 1560 – 1608), Breve et facile maniera d’essercitarsi..., Rome 1593
- Charles Butler (c. 1560 – 1647)
- Lodovico Viadana (c. 1560 – 1627)
- Giovanni Bassano(1560/61–1617), Ricercate, passaggi et cadentie... Venice 1585
- Pietro Cerone (1561–1625)
- Peter Eichmann (1561–1623)
- Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562–1621)
- Giovanni Camillo Maffei (fl 1562–73), Delle lettere del Signor Gio. Camillo Maffei da Solofra, libri due ..., Napoli 1562
- William Bathe (1564–1614)
- Joachim Burmeister (1564–1629)
- Johannes Christoph Demantius (1567–1643)
- Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643)
- Thomas Campion (1567–1620)
- Adriano Banchieri (1568–1634)
- Girolamo Dalla Casa (before 1568 – 1601), Il vero modo di diminuir con tutte le sorti di stromenti di fiato, & corda, & di voce humana Venice: Angelo Gardano 1584
- Michael Praetorius (c. 1569/73 – 1621)
- Georg Quitschreiber (1569–1638)
- Tomás de Santa María (died 1570)
- Francesco Bianciardi (c. 1571 – 1607)
- Eucharius Hoffmann (died 1588)
- Giovanni Battista Bovicelli (fl 1592–4), Regole, passaggi di musica, madrigali et motetti passeggiati Venice, 1594
- Gaspar Stoquerus (late 16th century)
- Francesco Rognoni Taeggio (second half of the 16th century – after 1626) Selva de varii passaggi Milan 1620
17th Century
18th Century
19th Century
20th Century
References
- Notes
- Sources
- Damschroder, David and David Russell Williams. Music theory from Zarlino to Schenker : a bibliography and guide. Stuyvesant, NY: Pendragon Press, 1990. ISBN 0918728991
- Williams, David Russell and C. Matthew Balensuela. Music theory from Boethius to Zarlino: a bibliography and guide. Hillsdale, NY: Pendragon Press, 2007. ISBN 9781576471579