4. The solos, duets, choruses and ballets were arranged artificially to suit the convenience of the performers and without regard for the dramatic context.
Monteverde has been termed "the Italian Wagner". He never ventured to introduce flowing melody save in the ritornello. His music was dramatic and he increased the dramatic scope of the recitative. His "Orfeo", 1607, contains the first dramatic duet. He was an innovator and gave a new developement to the harmonic system. His influence may be summed up as follows;
I. He made operatic recitative more melodious and expressive.
II. He boldly used unprepared discord to express dramatic emotions.
III. He greatly enlarged the orchestra, used special, appropriate groups of instruments to accompany characters, and employed separate combinations to announce the return and entry of persons. In his "Arianna" the widening influence of his orchestra developed to thirty-six instruments, including violins, trombones, trumpets and three small organs. He invented the pizzicato and tremolo on the violin. In his "Orfeo" there are parts for the harpsichords, lyres, violas, double basses, double harps with two rows of strings, two violins, guitars, organs, flutes, clarions and trombones. The apportionment of the instruments was as follows:—
The bass viols accompanied Orpheus.
The violas, Eurydice.
Four Trombones, Pluto.
The organs, Apollo.
The guitars, Charon.