Towards a typology of 'everyday polyphony': development of tools and strategy

Numerous musicological studies have brought to light music that is not yet part of the canon. Until now, however, this 'repertoire' has generally not received any attention and many of these pieces have not been studied in depth because they cannot yet be linked to the wider musicological discourse. Nevertheless, these works were at least considered valuable enough to be included in music manuscripts or prints, and they were undoubtedly much more numerous than the compositions that enjoyed great contemporary popularity or that have now gained a place in the musicological research field. An in-depth study of the presence and role of this 'repertoire' in relation to its musical context would contribute considerably to a more balanced and realistic picture of sixteenth-century polyphonic practice and thus to a better understanding of 'everyday' musical life.