It should be added that back of the mediæval drama, much of whose
history is illustrated by literary remains, especially in Teutonic Europe,
lay multifarious Byzantine undertakings, sometimes within the Church,
sometimes in hostility to it. These seem to have represented every
type and quality, from the classic tragedy or comedy down to the
rudest vaudeville. Music and dancing were used so freely that certain
works were at least virtually operettas. By way of Constantinople,
then, a continuous dramatic tradition and practice in Greek extended
from ancient times even till the 15th century. But about all this, as
about analogous dramatic traditions in Latin here and there in the
West, the available data are meagre. Apparently, the remarkable
Byzantine interest in the drama and its musical accessories had no
direct connection with the rise of Italian opera, for Italy was slow to
adopt the culture that expressed itself in the Greek language.
76. Musical Experiments.—While the use of music in some way as a dramatic accessory was common in the 16th century, a peculiar interest attaches to two Italian experiments. One of these was made about 1560 by the Roman priest Neri, who employed singing in popular gatherings for instruction in Biblical topics, and the other from about 1575 by the Florentine dilettanti (see sec. 70). The former slightly prefigured the oratorio, while the latter pointed clearly toward the opera. Both of these lines of progress were profoundly influenced by the prevailing types of dramatic effort, but at first their importance lay in discovering strictly musical ways and means for dramatic expression, and in bringing poetic styles into conjunction with musical expression.
Filippo Neri (d. 1595) was a zealous Florentine who from about 1550 was
prominent at Rome in philanthropic and educational work conducted at the
oratory (oratorio) first of the S. Girolamo monastery and later of Sta. Maria
in Vallicella, his efforts being so successful as to lead in 1564 to the formation
of a brotherhood for popular instruction, called the Congregation of the
Oratory (which has had many distinguished members in Italy, France and
England, and still exists). Singing was magnified by Neri as a help in his
meetings, and from 1565 he enlisted the services of G. Animuccia and Palestrina
of the Papal Chapel in the preparation of laudi spirituali—plain
settings of sacred words, to be sung after his addresses. From this practice
came later the name 'oratorio' for a sacred musical drama, though Neri's
efforts were not themselves dramatic.
We know little of the details of the first Florentine experiments, because the works are not preserved. Galilei is said to have been the pioneer with a solo scene from Dante's Inferno and some settings from Lamentations. Cavaliere followed in 1588-95 with works on classical topics, and in 1594 Peri, perhaps with Caccini, wrote music for Rinuccini's Dafne, privately given at Corsi's house. In all these the style was monodic, probably a crude recitative.
