Now these discords, harsh and ill-sounding, when performed by a number of voices without accompaniment in the church, made a very different effect in the opera-house: the effect of a solo voice, accompanied by instruments, was very different to that of a chorus; and discordant passages, which violated both the spirit and the meaning of sacred words, were quite in their place—nay, more, they frequently heightened the dramatic intensity of the situation when used in opera. So great was Monteverde’s success, so dramatic and expressive his music, that all composers since his day have followed in his footsteps, and have composed operas on the model of free and unfettered writing originated by him. [Sidenote: =The Church style of Music given up for the Stage=] His novelties of orchestration; his use of instruments, grouped quite in the modern manner for accompanying certain characters, or for defining particular situations, have already been touched upon; and these characteristic features continue to give him a very prominent position as a reformer of early opera. By him the complexion of matters was utterly changed, and the groove of writing in the church style for the stage, prevalent until his day, was left for ever. [Illustration: SCARLATTI.] [Sidenote: =The beauty of Scarlatti’s Arias=] A century and more later we find a new reformer in Gluck. What had happened in the meanwhile? Opera had fallen under the great and commanding influence of Alessandro Scarlatti, whose methods, if not amounting to reform, had certainly led to abuse. It has been mentioned that he invented the _Da Capo_ Aria; this was at first a welcome feature, because it gave point and meaning to the music, more definiteness of idea, and greater unanimity of design. Compare it with what had gone before, an endlessly dreamy musical recitation without form, without symmetry or rhythm, without set melody; the only attributes of the older style were its dramatic intensity and truth. And then Scarlatti appeared upon the scene; invented beautiful melodies, and cast them into regular mould, so that an audience knew that it only had to wait while a second part was gone through, to hear again a first part that had perhaps given much pleasure: it was a kind of encore, granted without trouble or uncertainty. We can imagine the melody-loving Italians of the day welcoming this beautiful and artistic innovation. [Sidenote: =Their weakness=]