ABSTRACT
The music comprises some short rhythmic choruses, passages for solo voice, and a very sprightly and melodious piece of instrumental music. The Mascarades were obviously very favourable opportunities for little ditties; and some dainty songs from such as were performed early in the seventeenth century have been preserved. As specimens of theatrical music antecedent to the experiments of the Italian monodists, these small relics are of great interest, and indicate a line of development of art independent of the Italian movement. The process of the development of French stage music was therefore altogether in strong contrast to the Italian. The first representative German composer whose gifts were sufficiently comprehensive to lead the way in the direction of modern forms of art was Heinrich Schutz. A special type of dainty dexterously organized song has been characteristic of the French in all times from which musical examples have been handed down.
