n the Sistine Chapel in 1484 and his first
successes as a composer were obtained in Rome. Later he went to Ferrara
where he wrote for the Duke Ercole d'Este his famous mass, "Hercules Dux
Ferrariae." But these activities of Josquin had little relation to the
frottola.

The point to be made here is that, at the time when Poliziano's "Orfeo"
was produced at Mantua, the Italian madrigal was in its infancy, while
its plebian parent, the frottola was in the lusty vigor of its maturity.
At the same time the popularity of part song was established in Italy
and music of this type was employed even for the most convivial
occasions. This is proved by the position which the variety of frottola,
called "carnival song," occupied in the joyous festivities of the
Italians. Note the narrative (not wholly inexact) of Burney:

"Historians relate that Lorenzo il Magnifico in carnival time used
to go out in the evening, followed by a numerous company of persons
on horseback, masked and richly dressed, amounting sometimes to
upwards of three hundred, and the same number on foot with wax
tapers burning in their hands. In this manner they marched through
the city till three or four o'clock in the morning, singing songs,
ballads, madrigals, catches or songs of humor upon subjects then in
vogue, with musical harmony, in four, eight, twelve, and even
fifteen parts, accompanied with various instruments; and these, from
being performed in carnival time, were called Canti
Carnascialesci."[23]

[Footnote 23: "The Present State of Music in France and Italy," by
Charles Burney. London, 1773.]

Burney errs in supposing that these songs were written in so many parts.
Three and four parts were the rule; five parts were extremely rare. The
actual words of Il Lasca, who wrote the introduction to the collection
of Triumphs and Carnival Songs published in Florence, 1559, are: "Thus
they traversed the city, singing to the accompaniment of music arranged
for four, eight, twelve or even fifteen voices, supported by various
instruments." This would not necessarily mean what musicians call
"fifteen real parts." The subject has been exhaustively and learnedly
studied by Ambros,[24] who has examined the frottola in all its
varieties. He has given several examples and among them he calls
attention to a particularly beautiful number (without text) for five
voices. This, he is certain, is one of the carnival songs which Heinrich
Isaa