SUMMARY
Much the same influences which led to the Reformation in the German countries were in the middle and second half of the 16th century also operative in Slovenia. Thus the local Protestants attributed to music the same function as Martin Luther had stressed in his view on music. As an art closely allied with theology, music became an important means of spreading and strengthening the new doctrine. Instructors and preachers, the chief protagonists of reformation ideas, had to be well versed in music. Many of them were educated in the Protestant School in Ljubljana (1563–1598 ). As its choir was obliged to take part in the services of the Church of St. Elizabeth and the City Hospital, as well as in other church and religious occasions, music was one of the main subjects, together with languages and religious instruction. This is confirmed by the detailed directions found in the second teaching plan, compiled by Adam Bohoric in 1575 and the third teaching plan, worked out by Nikodemus Frischlin in 1584. An analysis of these musical directives shows the following: in the school, plainsong and part music were taught. Slovene and German song books were used, and the text-book used for singing was the »Compendiolum Musicae pro incipientibus« by Heinrich Faber (Nürnberg 1548) and almost certainly also the »Ad musicam practicam introductio« (Nümberg 1530) by the same author. In the teaching of music, the cantor was helped by assistants. Bohoric's teaching plan laid stress also on the aesthetic side of singing. According to this teaching plan, musical instruction was introduced in the third class, and took place four times weekly from noon until one o'clock. The polyphonic choir had two additional rehearsals. In Frischlin's teaching plan more importance and time were given to figured music, and instruction in singing was already begun in the first class. At the final rehearsal for Sunday or some other feast, the choir was augmented by the town musicians and. the city organist. The comparison of Ljubljana's teaching methods with similar ones elsewhere reveals that in all these matters the Protestant school in Ljubljana maintined a high standard of musical education, comparable to that found in similar Protestant institutions in Austria and Germany.