392 The Evolution of Music. 



wrought in this school. But the precedence, if such it really 

 was, passed in the fifteenth century from England to the 

 Netherlands. In the history of its subsequent development 

 we find, as in the decadence of Greek music, that sponta- 

 neity of idea and expression were gradually sacrificed to in- 

 tricacy of form, artificiality, and ingenious device, though 

 we must allow that, in the long run, this artificial devising 

 was prolific in resources for later music. We have space 

 merely to mention the names of some of the leaders of the 

 Netherland and Gallo-Belgic school: Franco of Cologne, 

 Dufay, Okeghem, Josquin des Pres, Adrian Willaert, Tinc- 

 toris, Orlandus Lassus, Goudimel. But it must be remem- 

 bered that these were the Bachs and Beethovens of their 

 time, and what Browning calls their " mountainous fugues " 

 were the mines from which later musical science and art 

 have extracted material wherewith to build the grand tone 

 creations of our own day. Many of these masters, attract- 

 ed by the great importance given to music in the service 

 of the Catholic Church, wrought mostly in Italy. The first 

 musical conservatory in Naples was founded by Tinctoris, 

 and in Venice by Willaert. Lassus was a most prolific com- 

 poser, a writer of independent and creative faculty, and not 

 a few of his works hold their place in the estimation of the 

 musical world at the present day. 



Something, however, more than the mere mention of a 

 name is due to the work and genius of the great Palestrina 

 (1528-1594). We have noted above that it became a common 

 practice for the composers of church music to take for the 

 principal theme of their masses some well-known popular 

 melody. So general was this practice that their composi- 

 tions became known by the name of the song thus adapted, 

 such as the mass of the " Armed Man," of the " Lament of 

 the Rose," etc. Ecclesiastical music lost the worthiness of its 

 religious office not only by this intrusion of secular song, 

 but also by the invention of meaningless and florid fiorituri, 

 which completely obscured the text of the service. A power- 

 ful opposition was provoked among the clergy. For not so 

 valid a reason, Pope John XXII, in 1322, had objected 

 strenuously to the use of counterpoint, the harmonies of 

 thirds and sixths were declared too " voluptuous," and the 

 Ionian mode (our scale of C major) was stigmatized as " las- 

 civious." At the Council of Trent the prevailing style was 

 condemned without reserve. Not long before this, Pales- 

 trina's music had become prominent, and to him the Coun- 



