Which term describes Monteverdi's 'old style' prioritizing prepared dissonance treatment and strict polyphony?

• A. Ars perfecta
• B. Baroque opera
• C. Prima pratica
• D. Seconda pratica

Answer: (C)

This concept centers on how composers in the late Renaissance and early Baroque period treated dissonance and voice-leading: the old style, or prima pratica, sticks to traditional counterpoint with rules about how dissonances can be approached and resolved, often using prepared dissonances and strict polyphony to maintain clarity of line. Monteverdi’s earlier practice fits this description, where dissonances are carefully prepared and the voices move with formal independence, preserving the structure of multiple clear lines. The term that best captures this approach is prima pratica. By contrast, the newer approach Monteverdi helped pioneer—seconda pratica—allows dissonance to be used more freely for emotional expression and sometimes relaxes the old rules to serve text and affect. Ars perfecta is a broader Renaissance ideal of perfect polyphony, not a label specifically describing Monteverdi’s old style, and Baroque opera refers to a genre rather than a method of polyphony and dissonance treatment.