This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1901 Excerpt: ...the footsteps of the Italians. With the development of the instrumental accompaniment early in the seventeenth century there came certain changes of style. The ever-increasing tendency of the time to allow the melody to stand forth more prominently began to modify the nature of the harmonic setting. The songs of Jeep (1582-165o), and of his rival, Valentin Hausmann, show degeneracy, while the songs of Adam Krieger (1634-66) and Johann Krieger (1652-1736) are noble examples of the new style. The melodies of Johann Krieger are particularly charming, and show strong rhythmical character and real artistic power. He employs simple harmonies, yet shows more freedom and naturalness in modulation than any of his predecessors. We perceive in the music of these German masters the universal sway which Italian opera already began to exercise. The opera--as the special article on Italian music fully describes--had its beginning in Italy just at the dawn of the seventeenth century. "Mysteries" and "liturgical dramas"--both of them crude stage representations of episodes in biblical history--had been common in Germany long before this time; and the church musicians--Isaak, Senfl, Walther, Lasso and others--had worked to some extent in this field. But it was not until the great Monteverde (1568-1643) had embodied in his operatic works the results obtained by the Bardi society of connoisseurs, and not until Carissimi had clone similar service for the oratorio, that the new principles began to take root and develop in Germany. Johann Kapsberger, a composer, who resided at Rome from 161o to 163o, was the first German to adopt, to a considerable extent, the new ideas concerning vocal composition. But there soon arose in Germany a number of composers who cul...