t the
experiments of the Florentines uncovered the profound musical law that
the true dramatic dialogue is to be carried on by single-voiced melodies
resting on a basis of chord harmony.

In the meantime, we must delay our approach to the golden era of the
madrigal drama (when indeed it faced that _reductio_) to look for a
moment at the representative work of a Mantuan master of the lyric
comedy. Alessandro Striggio, born in Mantua, about 1535, died in the
same city in 1587, was for a time in the service of Cosimo, but for at
least fifteen years of his life was known simply as a "gentleman of
Mantua." Striggio was one of the most active and talented of the
composers of his time, and his creations are found in both religious and
secular fields. He utilized instruments freely in connection with voices
and his works give an excellent insight into the general condition of
vocal composition in Italy in his day. He became prominent as one of the
early composers of intermezzi and he was employed also to write church
music for wedding festivals. One of his motets calls for an orchestra of
eight trombones, eight violas, eight large flutes, a spinet and a large
lute. Without doubt his most significant work in the domain of the lyric
drama was "Il Calamento delle Donne al Bucato," published at Florence in
1584.

This is a series of rustic scenes, of which the first begins with an
introductory recitation by the poet, set for four voices: "In the gentle
month of May I found myself by chance near a clear stream where some
troops of women in various poses washed their white linen, and when they
had spread it to the sun on the grass, they chattered thus in lively
repartee, laughing." Then begin the action and the dialogue. The
scenario may be set forth in this wise: boisterous salutations,
hilarious talk and accounts of flirtations; tittle tattle about
neighbors and lively scandals; exchange of commiserations on the
insupportable humor of masters and the fatigue of service; cessation of
laughing, kissing and shouting, the day being ended; quick change of
scene to a levee of washing mallets; one of the women steals a trinket
from another, and a general riot ensues, after which there is a
reconciliation as the sun goes down and the women disperse with
embraces, tender words and cries of adieu.[34]

[Footnote 34: Something suggestive of a similar train of musical
thought is found in some reflections of George Moore on Zola: