Tartinians in Europe. The School of Nations and its Networks

Giuseppe Tartini is celebrated as a virtuoso violinist, composer, and music theorist, but his innovative contributions as an educator still has remained largely underexplored; in the 18th century, his “Scuola delle Nazioni” in Padua attracted a lot of pupils from across Europe, offering an unique educational model that shaped the professional and musical landscape of the time. This project investigates how Tartini’s “Scuola”, operated as an influential model of musical education, equipping musicians for successful integration into diverse cultural and professional contexts.

The research focuses on three key areas: reconstructing the “Scuola” within the framework of European patronage systems, examining the relationships between Tartini, his pupils, and their patrons; investigating Tartini’s didactic materials and their reception, revealing his pedagogical impact on 18th-century musical practice; tracing the dissemination of music through printers and copyists, mapping the spread of compositions by Tartini and his pupils.

At the heart of the project is an open-access digital resource combining biographical data, archival findings, and digital editions of Tartini’s works; this tool will enable users to analyse the careers of Tartini’s pupils, compare musical genres, and explore the transmission of musical ideas across Europe, offering new insights into the interconnected networks of 18th-century music.

The international team of researchers from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, as well as numerous international cooperation partners, will organise workshops, historically informed concerts, and joint courses, culminating in English-language publications. By highlighting Tartini’s cosmopolitan legacy, the research challenges nationalist narratives in music history and sheds light on his “Scuola” as a significant and enduring example of 18th-century musical education that influenced subsequent generations.