e other.

CHAPTER IX

The Orchestra of the "Orfeo"

That there was some sort of an orchestra in the "Orfeo" is probable,
though it is not wholly certain. The letter of the Envoy Pauluzo on the
performance of Ariosto's "Suppositi" at the Vatican in March, 1518, has
already been quoted. From this we learn that there was an orchestra
containing fifes, bag-pipes, two cornets, some viols and lutes and a
small organ. It is a pity that Pauluzzo did not record the number of
stringed instruments in order that we might have some idea of the
balance of this orchestra. On the other hand, as there was no system of
orchestration at that time, we might not learn much from the
enumeration. Rolland, in commenting on this letter, says, as we have
already noted, that this was the type of musical plays performed in
Italy at least as far back as the time of Poliziano. There is no
imperative demand that Rolland's statement on this point should be
accepted as authoritative, for his admirable book is without evidence
that the author gave this matter any special attention. On the other
hand it is almost certain that his assertion contains the truth. All the
instruments mentioned by him were in use long before the date of the
"Orfeo." Furthermore assemblies of instruments played together, as we
well know. But we are without data as to what they played, and are
driven to the conclusion that since there was no separate composition
for instruments till near the close of the sixteenth century, the
performance of the early assemblies of instruments must have been
devoted to popular songs or dances of the time. A little examination
into the character of these early "orchestras" may serve to throw light
on the nature of the instrumental accompaniments in Poliziano's "Orfeo."

Symonds's description of the performance of Cecchi's "Esaltazione della
Croce," already quoted in Chapter III, shows us that in 1589 a sacred
representation had an orchestra of viols, lutes, horns and organ, that
it played an interlude with special music composed by Luca Bati, and
that it also accompanied a solo allotted to the Deity. Another interlude
showed David dancing to lute, viol, trombone and harp. It is evident,
therefore, that at a period a century after that of the "Orfeo" there
was a certain sort of orchestra. But this period was somewhat later than
that of Striggio, who had already employed orchestras of considerable
variety. In his "La Cofanaria" (1566) h