Words to represent guitar chords. A letter, a number, or a symbol to write them down. New notation systems emerged in Italy and Spain in the 16th and 17th centuries. These systems created a bridge between the literate and popular classes, connecting those with a musical education to those with only basic knowledge. They enriched the repertoire for the general public, giving them access to new pieces and other forms of musical reappropriation. One of these systems prospered more than the others and spread beyond its region of origin: the Italian alfabeto.

Between art and popular music, La Badaude invites you to discover the figure of a 17th-century singer-guitarist through a program that highlights a selection of Italian pieces composed using the alfabeto. These works, from early editions of the time and the years when they were in vogue, offer a musical journey through Naples, Venice, Rome, and Parma.