Italiana." Milan, 1905.]

Alessandro D'Ancona[11] in his monumental work on the sources of the
Italian play says:

"The 'Favola di Orfeo,' although it drew its argument from
mythology, was hardly dissimilar in its intrinsic character from the
sacred plays, and was moreover far from that second form of tragedy
which was later given to it, not by the author himself, but probably
by Tebaldeo, to serve the dramatic tastes of Ferrara. So then the
'Fable of Orpheus' is a prelude, a passage, an attempt at the
transformation of the dramatic spectacle so dear to the people, and
while it detaches itself in subject from the religious tradition, it
is not yet involved in the meshes of classic imitation. If, indeed,
from the stage setting and from the music introduced into it, it is
already an artistic spectacle, it cannot be called an example of
ancient art restored. It was a theatrical ornament to a prince's
festival."

[Footnote 11: "Origini del Teatro in Italia." Firenze, 1877.]

Perhaps both of these admirable Italian authors had their eyes too
closely fixed on the spoken drama to perceive the immense significance
of Poliziano's "Orfeo" in the field of opera. If they had paused for a
moment to consider that Peri and Caccini chose the same story for the
book of their operas, in which the musical departure was even more
significant than the dramatic innovation of Poliziano had been, that
Monteverde utilized the same theme in his epoch-making "Orfeo," and that
for nearly two centuries the poetic and musical suggestiveness of the
Orpheus legend made it hold its grip on the affections of composers,
they might have realized better the relative value of the achievement of
Poliziano.

Let us then briefly review the influences which led to the selection of
the subject and the character of its literary investiture by the Italian
poet. The nature of the music and the manner of performance will have to
be examined separately. The transformation which came upon Italian life
and thought under the influence of the revival of the study of ancient
literature and philosophy has been extensively examined in numerous
works. But at this point we must recall at least the particular effect
which it had on Italian poetry. The creations of Dante might seem to us
tremendous enough in themselves to have originated an era, but as a
matter of fact they marked the conclusion of one. They were the full and
final fruition