Which term denotes music as it is defined today, focusing on instrumental sound production?

Which term denotes music as it is defined today, focusing on instrumental sound production?

• A. Musica Humana
• B. Musica Instrumentalis
• C. Musica Mandana
• D. Musica Mundana

Answer: (B)

Musica Instrumentalis is the term that matches the idea of music as it is defined today, focusing on sounds produced by instruments. In medieval and Renaissance theories, music was described in three realms: Mundana, the music of the cosmos and celestial harmony; Humana, the harmony within the human body and soul; and Instrumentalis, the sounds created by instruments—the instrument’s own voice. Modern usage often distinguishes instrumental music as music without or apart from vocal text, emphasizing pitch, rhythm, dynamics, and timbre produced by instruments. So the focus on instrumental sound production aligns with Musica Instrumentalis, rather than the cosmic or human-soul notions.

Musica Instrumentalis is the term that matches the idea of music as it is defined today, focusing on sounds produced by instruments. In medieval and Renaissance theories, music was described in three realms: Mundana, the music of the cosmos and celestial harmony; Humana, the harmony within the human body and soul; and Instrumentalis, the sounds created by instruments—the instrument’s own voice. Modern usage often distinguishes instrumental music as music without or apart from vocal text, emphasizing pitch, rhythm, dynamics, and timbre produced by instruments. So the focus on instrumental sound production aligns with Musica Instrumentalis, rather than the cosmic or human-soul notions.