aristocratic families. The six "regents" of the club took turns leading it, with their terms limited to two months. Before long they recognized the need to hire a professional teacher and composer as their maestro di musica, and in 1547 they contracted Jan Nasco, a Franco-Flemish composer from the Low Countries, to instruct them.

Nasco's duties were strict. The group met daily, and each evening he was to instruct