This passage from _Combattimento di Tanceredi e Clorinda_ (1624) offered so many difficulties to the musicians that at first they refused to play it. As we shall see presently, however, Monteverdi was not the first to introduce this effect (_cf._ p. 381). Another of his new effects was the introduction of the _pizzicato_, which he marked thus: _Qui si lascia l’arco, e si strappano le chorde con duo diti_, and afterwards _Qui si ripiglia l’arco_. That Monteverdi expected violins to produce a _crescendo_ with the bow is apparent with the instruction _Questa ultima note va in arcato morendo_. ‘Monteverdi with his two violins “_alla Francese_” in the score of _Orfeo_ (the first printed reference to the violin as an orchestral instrument in the modern sense), probably meant nothing more than that the violins were to be in the fashion of the French, but in place of accompanying a dance, the character indicated in the opera was accompanied by two violins in a particular part of its music.’[46] In other violin pieces by Monteverdi, as in his _Scherzi musicali_ and _Ritornelle_ (1607), we see his superiority to his contemporaries, just as in his _Sonata sopra Sancta Maria detratta_, etc. (1610), he showed plainly his desire to improve violin music. III The first attempt at independent violin composition was made by Biagio Marini (1590-1660), _maestro di cappella_ in Santa Eufemia in Brescia and a court concert-master in Germany, who may be regarded as the first professional composer-violinist. In his early compositions the violin parts were not difficult for the players. There were mostly half and quarter notes in slow tempi, displaying the quality of vocal compositions, and without much use of the G string. Witness the following example from his _Martinenga Corrente_ (1622): [Illustration: Music score] A passage from his _Il Priulino Balletto e Corrente_ (marked canto primo, secondo, and basso) [Illustration: Music score] is more instrumental in quality, though the second part of the Balletto reveals again the character of vocal music. The whole may be played on the A and E strings. More violinistic passages are to be found in his sinfonia _La Gardana_; for example: [Illustration: Music score]