Fulgoni's "Manuale di Teoria Musicale" is organized into several sections, covering topics such as notation, rhythm, melody, harmony, and form. The manual begins with an introduction to musical notation, including the basics of pitch, duration, and articulation. Fulgoni then explores the elements of rhythm, including meter, tempo, and accentuation.

Giovanni Fulgoni was born in 1826 in Rome, Italy. He studied music at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, where he later taught music theory and composition. Fulgoni was a prolific composer, writing numerous works for solo piano, chamber ensembles, and chorus. He died in 1881, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most important music theorists of his time.

Another key concept is the notion of "proporzione," or proportion. Fulgoni uses this term to describe the relationships between different rhythmic and melodic elements, such as the proportion of strong to weak beats or the proportion of melodic motifs.