Immersing the landscape in its music: The case of iso-polyphony in South Albania

This article reflects on cities and landscape as a complex interweaving of processes that it is not possible to control absolutely. However, it is possible to stimulate the generation of processes that could help an area to develop a sustainable economy, for instance, by highlighting its cultural heritage. In this paper, a project is used as a tool for research : it helps to explain how to deal with the fragile, but significant, intangible heritage of a specific place. The case study is the iso-polyphonic traditional music of South Albania, recognised by UNESCO, with a core area around Qeparo village. The paper proposes one project (among many possible ones) that is a process itself and that tries to elaborate a reductio ad unum of the mutual relations between landscape research, education, creativity and praxis.