The first stanza, above given in the original Italian, is translated thus: "Bacchus! we must all follow thee! Bacchus! Bacchus! Ohe! Ohe! With ivy coronals, bunch and berry, Crown we our heads to worship thee! Thou hast bidden us to make merry Day and night with jollity! Drink then! Bacchus is here! Drink free, And hand ye the drinking cup to me! Bacchus! Bacchus! we must all follow thee! Bacchus! Bacchus! Ohe! Ohe!" This is a sketch of the poem of Poliziano, on a story which became the subject of many operas, down to the time of Gluck.

This is the story set by Monteverde in his famous work, which has recently been revived in Italy with success.

This story was utilized by Peri and Caccini in their "Euridice," which is accepted as the first opera written in the new representative style of the sixteenth century to receive a public performance.
But, as we have already noted, in this "Orfeo," performed at the Mantuan court, there was so much of the material of a genuine lyric drama that it now becomes our business to examine more closely the character of the musical features and the manner of the performance.

The points at which music must have been heard are clearly indicated by the text.

Before proceeding to a consideration of this music, let us picture to ourselves how the work was performed..