Page:Rolland - A musical tour through the land of the past.djvu/26

14 the uproar the young "Plutonian" makes her escape, never to return.

These extravaganzas are enacted against a real background, accurately observed; there are scenes from the law-courts and the fair, with quacks in the market place, peasants in the tavern, squires in their country houses, burgesses at table or engaged in business; and the language and manners of each class are always humorously recorded. In the foreground is the crowd of musicians and students. In each of these Saxon cities a Collegium Musicum is established. This is a society of all the musicians in the town, who meet regularly once or twice a week in a special hall. Thither each repairs with his instrument; and two of the members, by turns, make it their business to provide the Collegium with musical compositions: concertos, sonatas, madrigals and arias. At these meetings there are long discussions on the art of music. They set given words to music; they indulge in friendly conversation. Sometimes the Collegium gives banquets, at the close of which various compositions are played, serious or humorous. It is the exception if these musicians are unable both to play an instrument and to sing. They are, however, by no means professional performers; they are burgesses who have other occupations. He in whose house they meet in Dresden is the collector of taxes.

Music has likewise its place in the Universities and the Collegia oratoria. At that of Leipzig we hear of an Actus oratorius upon music, which is concluded by an instrumental concert. Two students deliver