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Early Music • Alte Musik DDD Also available in this series: 8.555309

Claudio MONTEVERDI Book 3 Delitiæ Musicæ • Marco Longhini

8.555308

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Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) Madrigals Book III Also available in this series: ΩMonteverdi’s Third Book of Madrigals was published The first , La giovinetta pianta, sets an in in 1592 by Ricciardo Amadino and sold anonymous text and is well constructed but not overly extremely well, with five reprints before 1611. Two interesting musically even though it was usual practice further editions published in 1615 and 1621 included a for the first (and last) pieces of such a work to be basso continuo line “for harpsichord, chittarone or other remarkable in some way or another (a practice similar instrument” to aid the instrumentalists who Monteverdi had followed in the Second Book and would otherwise have had to work out their part from would do again in the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth, Naxos the vocal parts and transcribe it by hand. These 8.555310, 8.555311 and 8.555312). As with the First madrigals were clearly in the performance repertoire Book, however, what matters most here is not musical therefore for a good thirty years (quite remarkable innovation but the tribute to the dedicatee: Vincenzo given the rapidly changing tastes at the turn of the Gonzaga, hedonist, spendthrift and libertine (not unlike sixteenth century as monody and opera developed) and Verdi’s Duke of in Rigoletto...) would no doubt were the composer’s first major success. Having been have been pleased by the explicitly mischievous and engaged two years earlier by the Gonzaga family at the sensual references in a text encouraging young girls to court of Mantua as a humble singer of madrigals and take enjoyment in love. viol-player, by 1592 Monteverdi was also working as a Love is once again the principal theme of these composer alongside , maestro di songs, whether in subtle portrayals of sensuality, as in cappella at the ducal chapel of Santa Barbara (where all Sovra tenere erbette 3, or as the source of pain when a the major sacred ceremonies of the court took place). lover’s feelings are unrequited or he is betrayed 4 and By that time Wert was suffering from various illnesses, @. Betrayal is also the theme of the very beautiful including smallpox and malaria, and Monteverdi, keen Ch’io non t’ami # with its tormented finale on the to make his name and hoping to succeed Wert, words “come poss’io lasciarti e non morire”, and of dedicated his Third Book to Duke Vincenzo Gonzaga, Occhi un tempo mia vita $ , with its wealth of partly out of respect, but also well aware that he was contrasting attitudes depicted by the masterly use of offering “mature and tasty fruit” that would be of great horizontal counterpoint (for expressions of love) and interest in the cultural atmosphere of the time. There is vertical harmony (for moments of reluctance and inner no mention here, as there was in the First and Second pain). Books (Naxos 8.555307 and 8.555308), of either his Several of the madrigals in this book (for example origins or his teachers: as a court musician he had both the seventh and twelfth) are characterized by a long assimilated and become part of the sophisticated culture opening passage written for a single voice (a sign of the that had always fascinated him. The Third Book is trend by then to separate out the voices and personalise clearly influenced by the musical, literary, architectural them by providing solo introductions), or for the trio of and other artistic splendours of the Mantuan court. It is the top three voices. Many academics believe that this an innovative, at times revolutionary work, full of bold points to a connection with the Concerto delle Dame di expressive features, which draws once again on the , one of the few all-female groups in poems of and Giovanni Battista Guarini Renaissance (made up of noblewomen and singers (the author of one of the most famous Renaissance visiting the Ferrarese court). Their flawless taste, 8.555307 texts, Il pastor fido (1589), who was visiting Mantua at technique and virtuosity were renowned throughout the time). Europe; while the usual cappella was made up of a a

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small number of male singers and instrumentalists, we The innovative nature of this book is visible above know from contemporary reports such as that by the all in the “cycles” of madrigals: much has been written Florentine ambassador in 1571, that at least until 1598 about Monteverdi’s use of declamation in Vattene pur (the year in which the last heir of Alfonso II d’Este died crudel 8 and the charm of the musical transposition of and the Ferrara dukedom passed into the hands of the the two cycles taken from Tasso’s Gerusalemme Roman Church), larger-scale concerts of around sixty liberata (also the source of his later work, Il singers and instrumentalists were staged. These were combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda). Nino Pirrotta undoubtedly exceptional events, proof both of the writes in Scelte poetiche di musicisti (1987) that these esteem in which the art form was held and of the great works contain “singing rather than recitative, because wealth of Ferrara. Given the regular cultural contests the implicit form of performance can avoid the practical and exchanges between the latter and Mantua, it is demands of realistic speech to which performance is too certainly plausible that Monteverdi might have written often subjected ... Song, representation in song, is the pieces expressly dedicated to the Ladies of Ferrara. declared artistic aim”. The sequence of three madrigals Three such pieces appear here: O come è gran %-& that begins with the desperate words “Vivrò fra i martire 2 a superb depiction of that cultured world and miei tormenti” sets to music the moment at the end of of the way in which such feelings would have to be the combat between Tancredi and Clorinda, when the experienced intimately and without outward show at Christian warrior removes his helmet only to realise court; Lumi, miei cari lumi *; and O rossignuol 6. The that he has unwittingly killed his beloved. A dreamlike latter two songs make frequent and effective use of atmosphere is created; the voices seem to fight one madrigalismi, or word-painting (to be found on the another, angry impulses alternating with long moments words “veloce” and “tardo” in Lumi, miei for example; of reflection. Blinded by anger and the violent contest, while in O rossignuol, a swiftly undulating theme on Tancredi is now condemned to wander for eternity in “rio” comes to a standstill on the words “fermarti remorse and self-hatred: the music perfectly portrays suoli”, the nightingale’s song takes flight in a volley of his confused and bewildered state of mind (beginning notes, and the words of suffering, tears and pain, always of ^ and &). The melodies wander harmonically, present in such texts, are treated with dissonant sustained only by syllabic repetition intoned on a single harmonies). note, an obsessive, recitative-like repetition. Yet every The text of one of the Third Book’s most famous time the force builds up it reverberates, leading into a pieces, O primavera, gioventù dell’anno ! is taken new episode in which other voices overlap, interrupted from Mirtillo’s monologue at the beginning of Act by the desperate cries of “ahi sfortunato” ^. The Three of Il pastor fido. This drama was a outcome of so much sorrow can only be death, the favourite of Duke Vincenzo Gonzaga, as proved by “tomba felice”, a phrase that expresses the Baroque reports of a sumptuous staging in 1598 (after a failed concept of contradiction. attempt in 1591). We do not know for sure, but it seems Both the First and Second Books contain extremely likely that this madrigal was included in that expressive settings of Tasso, but the Third Book performance. The text is polarised between ever- settings have a new drama and intensity (as does the renewing nature with her promise of the joy of new life only Tasso piece in the Fourth Book, Naxos 8.555310). and an unhappy lover nostalgically recalling a love now After an absence in the Fifth and Sixth Books, his work lost for ever; the contrast between these sentiments is reappears with full dramatic force in Combattimento, made even stronger by the music — fast-moving, Monteverdi himself writing in the foreword to the Frontispiece of the original 1592 edition playful episodes are set in opposition to slow, painful Eighth Book in 1638, “I entrusted myself to the divine dissonance. Tasso, whose words so clearly and naturally express the

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passions he wishes to describe, and I rediscovered his Celiano. Thyrsis and Phyllida are two humble Delitiæ Musicæ description of the combat between Tancredi and shepherds who, without averting their gaze from one Clorinda, giving me the two opposite passions to set to another, part in great sorrow, with words of love, tears Alessandro Carmignani ...... countertenor (cantus) (a) music, war, in other words prayer, and death”. and sighs. Following the text, the music proceeds Fabian Schofrin ...... countertenor (quintus) (b) Expressing these “passions” presents challenges in haltingly, creating contrasts, led only by the feelings of Gianluigi Ghiringhelli ...... countertenor (cantus III) (c) terms of both composition and performance: the the two lovers who seem almost to speak with one Fabio Fùrnari ...... tenor (quintus-altus) (d) opening of Vattene pur crudel 8 has to portray the voice. The skilful and expressive use of word-painting, Paolo Fanciullacci ...... tenor (altus) (e) powerful invective of the sorceress as in her the masterly and inventive descending chromatic scale Marco Scavazza ...... baritone (tenor) (f) Walter Testolin ...... bass (bassus) (g) pain and distraction she rails agains who has (like that used in 9) on the words “or qui mancò lo decided to leave her and her enchanted castle to return spirto” and for the slowly falling tears of Maurizio Piantelli ...... theorbo (h) to the battlefield. Betrayed and about to collapse in “stilland’amaro umore”, the harmonic instability of “di Carmen Leoni ...... harpsichord (i) grief, she invokes terrible curses (whose power is only martir in martir, di doglie in doglie”, the use of syllabic matched by that of her love for him) so that in his final repetition together with distant chords in “gli trafisse il Marco Longhini ...... conductor moments he will think only of her, with a last, desperate cor” all combine to make this one of the greatest works cry of love. Monteverdi’s setting is brilliant and of the age. harrowing; the notes drip with passionate and In support of what I have already written in the Il Terzo Libro de’ Madrigali, 1592 contrasting sentiments — love and hate break against notes to accompany Books One and Two about our each other as waves break against rocks. Then Armida decision to record these works using male voices only, I 1 La giovinetta pianta ...... a, b, d, e, g, i slowly faints away 9 in a descending, sinuous, should like to add here that Gustave Reese in Music in 2 O come è gran martire ...... a, b, d, f, g, h chromatic sequence of notes, at the end of which she the Renaissance (ch.8, note 162) notes that a re- 3 Sovra tenere erbette e bianchi fiori ...... a, b, d, f, g, i falls senseless to the ground. As she comes round 0, examination of the Mantua archives leads to the 4 .O dolce anima mia, dunque è pur vero ...... a, b, e, f, g, h she realises that she is now completely alone: with the conclusion, despite some historians’ opinion to the 5 Stracciami pur il core ...... a, b, d, f, g, i same technique of syllabic repetition and uttering one contrary, that the cappella served both Santa Barbara 6 O rossignuol ch’in queste verdi fronde ...... a, b, d, e, g final cry of despair, she collapses and weeps. As (the only ducal church in Wert’s time) and the court. 7 Se per estremo ardore ...... a, d, e, f, g Claudio Gallico notes in Monteverdi (1979), these Given that women were not permitted to sing in church, 8 Vattene pur crudel (part 1) ...... a, b, e, f, g pieces from the major poem of the late Renaissance are we have deduced that it was common (and popular) 9 Là tra’l sangue (part 2)...... a, b, e, f, g semi-operatic and of genuinely theatrical nature. practice for madrigals to be performed by men only at 0 .Poi ch’ella in sé tornò (part 3)...... a, b, e, f, g The inherent passion and intensity of these two the Mantuan court — and throughout Italy — at the ! O primavera gioventù de l’anno ...... a, b, d, f, g, i cycles recall the Lamento d’Arianna in the Sixth Book time: such sonorities (while very appealing) may seem @ Perfidissimo volto ...... a, b, e, f, g (Naxos 8.555312); similarly the last madrigal in the strange to modern listeners used to years of # Ch’io non t’ami, cor mio? ...... a, b, d, f, g, h $ Third Book is reminiscent of the final intense triptych of performance by female voices. Recording these works Occhi, un tempo mia vita ...... a, b, d, e, g, h % the First Book, where lyrics by different poets (Guarini in accordance with the earlier practice has been both an Vivrò fra i miei tormenti (part 1)...... a, b, e, f, g ^ Ma dove, oh lasso me! (part 2)...... a, b, e, f, g and Tasso again) are placed together because of their obligation and an pleasure for us, and we hope that just & Io pur verrò là dove sète (part 3) ...... a, b, e, f, g as the use of “authentic instruments” has now found similarity of content. Monteverdi abides by usual * Lumi, miei cari lumi ...... a, b, c, e, f, g, i practice and puts a masterpiece of innovation in this favour in Baroque instrumental performance, so this ( .Rimanti in pace (part 1)...... a, b, d, f, g, h final position — Rimanti in pace (, which evokes practice will in future be fully recognised by critics, ) Ond’ei, di morte (part 2)...... a, b, d, f, g, h again Gerusalemme liberata and the story of Rinaldo academics and all those who love true Music. and Armida (these being Rinaldo’s words to the enchantress just before he leaves her). Yet while here Marco Longhini Urtext Music edited by Andrea Bornstein – Ut Orpheus Edizioni, too a pair of lovers must endure separation, there is nothing epic about the atmosphere created by Liviano English translation: Susannah Howe

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che ’l mio cor se ne strugge; that my heart is consumed; Delitiae Musicae volgete a me, volgete bring back to me, bring back quei fuggitivi rai, those fugitive rays, Delitiae Musicae represents a plausible reconstruction of a cappella music of the . Established ch’oggetto non vedrete for you will never see in 1992, it is considered one of the most interesting Italian early music ensembles, with recordings in the last ten in altra parte mai elsewhere any other years that include the Missa Philomena praevia of Verdelot, four albums dedicated to Masses of Palestrina based con sì giusto desio, with such just desire, on the compositions of the Flemish composer Cipriano de Rore, Lupus and Jacquet de Mantua (Choc du disque che tanto vostro sia quanto son io. who is as much yours as am I. Prize and 9 de Répertoire Prize in France and the Spanish Five Stars award), Adrian Willaert’s Vespro di Natale (Battista Guarini) (CD Classica editor’s choice, April 1999) and books of madrigals by Banchieri, Pazzia senile, Saviezza giovenile, Studio dilettevole and Metamorfosi. ( Rimanti in pace – Prima parte

«Rimanti in pace» a la dolente e bella “Stay here in peace,” said Thyrsis, sighing, Marco Longhini Fillida, Tirsi sospirando disse. to the lovely and grieving Phyllida. «Rimanti, io me ne vo; tal mi prescrisse “Stay here, I go; as decreed by the law, Marco Longhini graduated as a conductor at the Milan Conservatorio and studied legge, empio fato, aspra sorte e rubella.» pitiless destiny, bitter and hostile fate.” architecture in Venice, after earlier studies in composition, choral music and Ed ella ora da l’una e l’altra stella And then, distilling bitter tears conducting and singing. He has concentrated his attention in particular on early stillando amaro umore, i lumi affisse from each of her starry eyes, she fixed her gaze music and on the rediscovery of often unpublished Italian masterpieces of the past. ne i lumi del suo Tirsi e gli trafisse on that of her Thyrsis, and pierced In addition to his work with Delitiae Musicae, which he founded for the study of il cor di pietosissime quadrella. his heart with the most piteous arrows. the repertoire of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, he has a busy career as a (Livio Celiano) conductor of opera, including the Orfeo of Sartorio, oratorios, Masses and sacred music, with performances also for Italian Radio (Monteverdi’s Orfeo). He has ) Ond’ei, di morte la sua faccia impressa – recorded Cavalieri’s Rappresentatione di Anima e di Corpo, awarded two French Seconda parte critics’ prizes, and Monteverdi’s Mass and Litanies of the Blessed Virgin, which won an Italian critical award. Marco Longhini teaches at the L. Marenzio Ond’ei, di morte la sua faccia impressa, Then he, with death engraved upon his face, Conservatorio in Brescia. disse: «Ahi, come n’andrò senza il mio sole, said, “Alas, how can I go without my sun, di martir in martir, di doglie in doglie?» from torment to torment, grief to grief?” Delitiæ Musicæ: Via San Giuseppe, 3a - I 37024 Montecchio di Negrar VR Ed ella, da singhiozzi e pianti oppressa, And she, overcome with sobs and tears, Email: [email protected] fievolmente formò queste parole: faintly formed these words: «Deh, cara anima mia, chi mi ti toglie?» “Ah, my beloved soul, who tears you from me?” (Livio Celiano)

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Il Terzo Libro de Madrigali, 1592 % Vivrò fra i miei tormenti e le mie cure – Prima parte 1 La giovinetta pianta Vivrò fra i miei tormenti e le mie cure, I shall live midst grief and torment, La giovinetta pianta The lovely young plant mie giuste furie, forsennato, errante; dreadful remorse, frenzied, wandering; si fa più bell’al sole, becomes even more beautiful in the sun, paventerò l’ombre solinghe e scure I shall dread the lonely dark shades quando men arder suole. when it is less likely to burn. che ’l prim’error mi recheranno inante, that will ever recall this first mistake, Ma se fin dentro sente But if deep within it feels e del sol che scoprì le mie sventure, and in fear and horror shall I hold the sight il vivo raggio ardente, the bright and burning ray, a schivo ed in orror avrò il sembiante. of the sun that shed light on my misfortune. dimostran fuor le scolorite spoglie its fading leaves show outwardly Temerò me medesmo; e da me stesso I shall fear myself; and though I try to flee l’intern’ardor che la radice accoglie. the inner passion gathered by its roots. sempre fuggend’avrò me sempre appresso. I shall never be free of myself. Così la verginella Thus a fair maiden (Torquato Tasso, Gerusalemme liberata, XII, 77) amando si fa bella, becomes more beautiful if she loves, quand’Amor la lusinga e non l’offende. when Love flatters and does not offend her. ^ Ma dove, oh lasso me! – Seconda parte Ma se ’l suo vivo ardore But if its bright passion la penetra nel core, penetrates her heart, Ma dove, oh lasso me, dove restaro But where, alas, now lie dimostra la sembianza impallidita her outer pallor proves le reliquie del corpo e bello e casto? the remains of that lovely and chaste body? ch’ardente è la radice de la vita. how ardent is the root of life. Ciò che in lui sano i miei furor lasciaro, That which my violent fury left unharmed (anonimo) dal furor de le fère è forse guasto. has now perhaps fallen prey to wild beasts. Ahi troppo nobil preda! ahi dolce e caro Alas, noble prey! alas, too sweet and dear, 2 O come è gran martire troppo pur troppo prezioso pasto! unhappy, too precious to be consumed by beasts. ahi sfortunato! in cui l’ombre e le selve Ah, wretch that I am! Tortured first by darkness O come è gran martire O what suffering it is irritaron me prima e poi le belve. and thick forest and now by wild animals. a celar suo desire, to conceal desire, (Torquato Tasso, Gerusalemme liberata, XII, 78) quando con pura fede when with purest faith s’ama chi non se ’l crede. one loves another who does not believe. & Io pur verrò là dove sète – Terza e ultima parte O soave mio ardore, O sweet passion of mine, o giusto mio desio, o righteous desire, Io pur verrò là dove sète; e voi I shall come to the place where you lie; and if you are s’ognun ama il suo core if each loves his own heart meco avrò, s’anco sète, amate spoglie. still there, I shall stay by your side, beloved remains. e voi sète il cor mio, and you are my heart, Ma s’egli avien che i vaghi membri suoi But if some savage beast allor non fia ch’io v’ami then do not make me love you stati sian cibo di ferine voglie, has fed upon your graceful limbs, quando sarà che viver più non brami. when I no longer wish to live. vuo’ che la bocca stessa anco me ingoi, let its mouth engulf me as well, (Battista Guarini) e ’l ventre chiuda me che lor raccoglie: let it swallow and entomb me: onorata per me tomba [e] felice, for wherever she lies, if I may be with her, 3 Sovra tenere erbette e bianchi fiori ovunque sia, s’esser con lor mi lice. there shall be my honoured, welcome grave. (Torquato Tasso, Gerusalemme liberata, XII, 79) Sovra tenere erbette e bianchi fiori On a bank of soft grass, amid white flowers stava Filli sedendo Phyllis was sitting * Lumi, miei cari lumi ne l’ombra d’un alloro, in the shade of a laurel quando li dissi: «Cara Filli, io moro.» when I said to her, “Dear Phyllis, I am dying”. Lumi, miei cari lumi, Eyes whose beloved light Ed ella a me volgendo And turning to me che lampeggiate un sì veloce sguardo flashes such a fleeting glance vergognosetta il viso, her gently blushing face, ch’a pena mira e fugge that it scarcely sees before escaping frenò frangendo fra le rose il riso among the roses she stifled that laugh e poi torna sì tardo and is so slow to return 8.555309 6 11 8.555309 555309 bk Monte 3 US 19/11/2003 11:58 am Page 10

@ Perfidissimo volto che per gioia dal core which I believe Love gave her credo ne trasse Amore. out of sheer joy. Perfidissimo volto, Most faithless of faces, Onde lieta mi disse: Then, happy, she said to me, ben l’usata bellezza in te si vede, as clearly as ever do I see the beauty in you, «Baciami, Tirsi mio, “Kiss me, my Thyrsis, ma non l’usata fede. but no longer the fidelity. che per desir sento morirmi anch’io.» for I too am dying of desire”. Già mi parevi dir: «Quest’amorose Once you seemed to say, “The light (anonimo) luci che dolcemente in these loving eyes which I sweetly rivolgo a te, sì belle e sì pietose, turn to you, so beautiful and caring, 4 O dolce anima mia, dunque è pur vero prima vedrai tu spente will you see grow dark che sia spento il desio ch’a te le gira.» before my desire for you expires.” O dolc’anima mia, dunque è pur vero O my sweet spirit, is it then true Ahi, ch’è spent’il desio, Alas, that desire has died, che cangiando pensiero that your thoughts have turned to another ma non è spento quel per cui sospira but not that for which per altrui m’abbandoni? and you now abandon me? l’abandonato core. the abandoned heart sighs. Se cerchi un cor che più t’adori ed ami, If you seek a heart that loves and adores you more, O volto troppo vago e troppo rio, O face, you are too lovely and too cruel, ingiustamente brami; you yearn in vain; perché se perdi amore why if you no longer love se cerchi lealtà, mira che fede, if you seek loyalty, see what faith it is non perdi ancor vaghezza, are you still so fair, amar quand’altrui doni to love when you give to others o non hai pari a la beltà fermezza? why is your beauty not matched by constancy? la mia cara mercede the mercy I love (Battista Guarini) e la sperata tua dolce pietate. and the sweet pity I long for. Ma se cerchi beltate, But if you seek beauty, # Ch’io non t’ami, cor mio? non mirar me, cor mio, mira te stessa look not at me, my love, look at yourself, in questo volto, in questo cor impressa. you who are imprinted on this face, this heart. Ch’io non t’ami, cor mio? Could it be that I love you not, my heart? (Battista Guarini) Ch’io non sia la tua vita e tu la mia? That I am not your life, and you mine? Che per novo desio That I could leave you 5 Stracciami pur il core e per nova speranza i’ t’abandoni? for a new desire, a new hope? Prima che questo sia, I should rather Stracciami pur il core; Destroy my heart then; morte non mi perdoni. be carried away by death. ragion è ben, ingrato, you have good reason, Ma se tu sei quel core onde la vita If you are that heart which che se t’ho troppo amato for if I have loved you too well, m’è sì dolc’e gradita, gives me such sweet and welcome life, porti la pena del commess’errore. you bear the burden of my fault. fonte d’ogni mio ben, d’ogni desire, source of all I love, all I desire, Ma perché stracci fai de la mia fede? But why destroy my faith? come poss’io lasciarti e non morire? how can I leave you and not die? Che colp’ha l’innocente? What guilt does the innocent man bear? (Battista Guarini) Se la mia fiamma ardente If my burning passion non merita mercede, merits not pity, $ Occhi, un tempo mia vita ah, non la merta il mio fedel servire? ah, does not my faithful service? Ma straccia pur, crudele: But do your worst, cruel one: Occhi, un tempo mia vita; Eyes who were once my life; non può morir d’amor alma fedele. a loyal heart cannot die of love. occhi, di questo cor fido sostegno, eyes, you who sustain this faithful heart, Sorgerà nel morir quasi fenice In death will my faith rise like the phoenix, voi mi negate, ahimè, l’usata aita? alas, do you now deny me the aid of days gone by? la fede mia più bell’e più felice. more joyful and more beautiful. Tempo è ben di morire; a che più tardo? It is truly time to die; why delay? (Battista Guarini) A che torcete il guardo? Why does your gaze turn away? Forse per non mirar come v’adoro? Perhaps so as not to see how I adore you? Mirate almen ch’io moro. Watch at least as I die. (Battista Guarini) 8.555309 10 7 8.555309 555309 bk Monte 3 US 19/11/2003 11:58 am Page 8

6 O rossignuol ch’in queste verdi fronde 9 Là tra ’l sangue e le morti egro giacente – Seconda parte O rossignuol ch’in queste verdi fronde O nightingale who favours a perch among … there, as you lie suffering, midst death and bloodshed, sovra ’l fugace rio fermar ti suoli, these green boughs, above the swift-flowing river, Là tra ’l sangue e le morti egro giacente will you pay for my grief, evil warrior. e forse a qualche noia ora t’involi maybe you are now hiding from some secret pain, mi pagherai le pene, empio guerriero. Again and again will you call on Armida dolce cantando al suon de le roche onde; sweetly singing above the raucous sound of the waters; Per nome Armida chiamerai sovente as you breathe your last: this is my wish.” alterna teco in not’alt’e profonde your mate sings both high and low notes ne gli ultimi singulti: udir ciò spero.» Hardly had she uttered these words la tua compagna, e par che ti consoli. in harmony with you, and seems to comfort you. Or qui mancò lo spirto a la dolente, when the unhappy woman’s spirit failed A me, perch’io mi strugga e pianti e duoli Yet although I suffer and weep and lament né quest’ultimo suono espress’intero; and she fell swooning, senseless, bathed versi ad ognor, nissun già mai risponde, without cease, no one answers me, e cadde tramortita e si diffuse in an icy sweat, her eyes closed. né di mio danno si sospira o geme. nor does anyone sigh or shed tears over my grief. di gelato sudor e i lumi chiuse. E te s’un dolor preme, And if some sorrow touches you, (Torquato Tasso, Gerusalemme liberata, XVI,60) può ristorar un altro piacer vivo, another of life’s pleasures will take its place, ma io d’ogni mio ben son cass’e privo. but I am deprived of all that I love. 0 Poi ch’ella in sé tornò, deserto e muto – (Pietro Bembo) Terza e ultima parte Then she woke, and saw all around her 7 Se per estremo ardore Poi ch’ella in sé tornò, deserto e muto such a desolate, silent place. If a heart could die quanto mirar poté d’intorno scorse. “Is he then gone,” she said, “and has he Se per estrem’ardore from an excess of ardour, «Ito se n’è pur» disse «ed ha potuto without pity left me here, my life in peril? morir potesse un core, mine would indeed be burned me qui lasciar de la mia vita in forse? Could he not linger one moment, nor offer saria ben arso il mio by such a sinful blaze. Né un momento indugiò, né un breve aiuto me succour when most I needed it, the traitor! fra tanto incendio rio. But like a salamander I live nel caso estremo il traditor mi porse? And yet do I love him still and, unavenged, Ma come salamandra nel mio foco in my fire for my lady in play and feasting. Ed io pur anco l’amo, e in questo lido sit weeping on this shore?” vivo per la mia donna in festa e ’n gioco. And if it should be invendicata ancor piango e m’assido?» E se m’avien talora that such sweetness means my death, (Torquato Tasso, Gerusalemme liberata, XVI,63) che per dolcezza i’ mora, thanks to Love I shall rise like the phoenix mercé d’Amor risorgo qual fenice joyfully to live forever in flames. ! O primavera, gioventù de l’anno sol per viver ardend’ognor felice. O spring, season of youth, (Battista Guarini) O primavera, gioventù de l’anno, fair mother of flowers, bella madre de’ fiori, new-grown grass and new-found love, 8 Vattene pur, crudel, con quella pace – d’erbe novelle e di novelli amori, you return, but, alas, Prima parte tu ben, lasso, ritorni, without the dear days “Go then, cruel man, go with the same peace ma senza i cari giorni of my hopes. «Vattene pur, crudel, con quella pace you wish me; go now, wicked one. de le speranze mie. You are just che lasci a me; vattene, iniquo, omai. Soon shall my shadowy spirit depart my body Tu ben sei quella what you were, so fair and lovely, Me tosto ignudo spirt’ombra seguace and haunt you for eternity. ch’eri pur dianzi, sì vezzosa e bella; but I am not what once I was, indivisibilmente a tergo avrai. Just as a fury, with snakes and fire ma non son io quel che già un tempo fui, so beloved in the eyes of another. Nova furia, co’ serpi e con la face shall I torment you as much as once I loved you. sì caro a gli occhi altrui. tanto t’agiterò quanto t’amai. And if fate decrees that you survive the sea, escape (Battista Guarini, Pastor fido, III,I ) E s’è destin ch’esca del mar, che schivi the rocks and waves and reach the field of battle… li scogli e l’onde e che a la pugna arrivi. (Torquato Tasso, Gerusalemme liberata, XVI,59)

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6 O rossignuol ch’in queste verdi fronde 9 Là tra ’l sangue e le morti egro giacente – Seconda parte O rossignuol ch’in queste verdi fronde O nightingale who favours a perch among … there, as you lie suffering, midst death and bloodshed, sovra ’l fugace rio fermar ti suoli, these green boughs, above the swift-flowing river, Là tra ’l sangue e le morti egro giacente will you pay for my grief, evil warrior. e forse a qualche noia ora t’involi maybe you are now hiding from some secret pain, mi pagherai le pene, empio guerriero. Again and again will you call on Armida dolce cantando al suon de le roche onde; sweetly singing above the raucous sound of the waters; Per nome Armida chiamerai sovente as you breathe your last: this is my wish.” alterna teco in not’alt’e profonde your mate sings both high and low notes ne gli ultimi singulti: udir ciò spero.» Hardly had she uttered these words la tua compagna, e par che ti consoli. in harmony with you, and seems to comfort you. Or qui mancò lo spirto a la dolente, when the unhappy woman’s spirit failed A me, perch’io mi strugga e pianti e duoli Yet although I suffer and weep and lament né quest’ultimo suono espress’intero; and she fell swooning, senseless, bathed versi ad ognor, nissun già mai risponde, without cease, no one answers me, e cadde tramortita e si diffuse in an icy sweat, her eyes closed. né di mio danno si sospira o geme. nor does anyone sigh or shed tears over my grief. di gelato sudor e i lumi chiuse. E te s’un dolor preme, And if some sorrow touches you, (Torquato Tasso, Gerusalemme liberata, XVI,60) può ristorar un altro piacer vivo, another of life’s pleasures will take its place, ma io d’ogni mio ben son cass’e privo. but I am deprived of all that I love. 0 Poi ch’ella in sé tornò, deserto e muto – (Pietro Bembo) Terza e ultima parte Then she woke, and saw all around her 7 Se per estremo ardore Poi ch’ella in sé tornò, deserto e muto such a desolate, silent place. If a heart could die quanto mirar poté d’intorno scorse. “Is he then gone,” she said, “and has he Se per estrem’ardore from an excess of ardour, «Ito se n’è pur» disse «ed ha potuto without pity left me here, my life in peril? morir potesse un core, mine would indeed be burned me qui lasciar de la mia vita in forse? Could he not linger one moment, nor offer saria ben arso il mio by such a sinful blaze. Né un momento indugiò, né un breve aiuto me succour when most I needed it, the traitor! fra tanto incendio rio. But like a salamander I live nel caso estremo il traditor mi porse? And yet do I love him still and, unavenged, Ma come salamandra nel mio foco in my fire for my lady in play and feasting. Ed io pur anco l’amo, e in questo lido sit weeping on this shore?” vivo per la mia donna in festa e ’n gioco. And if it should be invendicata ancor piango e m’assido?» E se m’avien talora that such sweetness means my death, (Torquato Tasso, Gerusalemme liberata, XVI,63) che per dolcezza i’ mora, thanks to Love I shall rise like the phoenix mercé d’Amor risorgo qual fenice joyfully to live forever in flames. ! O primavera, gioventù de l’anno sol per viver ardend’ognor felice. O spring, season of youth, (Battista Guarini) O primavera, gioventù de l’anno, fair mother of flowers, bella madre de’ fiori, new-grown grass and new-found love, 8 Vattene pur, crudel, con quella pace – d’erbe novelle e di novelli amori, you return, but, alas, Prima parte tu ben, lasso, ritorni, without the dear days “Go then, cruel man, go with the same peace ma senza i cari giorni of my hopes. «Vattene pur, crudel, con quella pace you wish me; go now, wicked one. de le speranze mie. You are just che lasci a me; vattene, iniquo, omai. Soon shall my shadowy spirit depart my body Tu ben sei quella what you were, so fair and lovely, Me tosto ignudo spirt’ombra seguace and haunt you for eternity. ch’eri pur dianzi, sì vezzosa e bella; but I am not what once I was, indivisibilmente a tergo avrai. Just as a fury, with snakes and fire ma non son io quel che già un tempo fui, so beloved in the eyes of another. Nova furia, co’ serpi e con la face shall I torment you as much as once I loved you. sì caro a gli occhi altrui. tanto t’agiterò quanto t’amai. And if fate decrees that you survive the sea, escape (Battista Guarini, Pastor fido, III,I ) E s’è destin ch’esca del mar, che schivi the rocks and waves and reach the field of battle… li scogli e l’onde e che a la pugna arrivi. (Torquato Tasso, Gerusalemme liberata, XVI,59)

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@ Perfidissimo volto che per gioia dal core which I believe Love gave her credo ne trasse Amore. out of sheer joy. Perfidissimo volto, Most faithless of faces, Onde lieta mi disse: Then, happy, she said to me, ben l’usata bellezza in te si vede, as clearly as ever do I see the beauty in you, «Baciami, Tirsi mio, “Kiss me, my Thyrsis, ma non l’usata fede. but no longer the fidelity. che per desir sento morirmi anch’io.» for I too am dying of desire”. Già mi parevi dir: «Quest’amorose Once you seemed to say, “The light (anonimo) luci che dolcemente in these loving eyes which I sweetly rivolgo a te, sì belle e sì pietose, turn to you, so beautiful and caring, 4 O dolce anima mia, dunque è pur vero prima vedrai tu spente will you see grow dark che sia spento il desio ch’a te le gira.» before my desire for you expires.” O dolc’anima mia, dunque è pur vero O my sweet spirit, is it then true Ahi, ch’è spent’il desio, Alas, that desire has died, che cangiando pensiero that your thoughts have turned to another ma non è spento quel per cui sospira but not that for which per altrui m’abbandoni? and you now abandon me? l’abandonato core. the abandoned heart sighs. Se cerchi un cor che più t’adori ed ami, If you seek a heart that loves and adores you more, O volto troppo vago e troppo rio, O face, you are too lovely and too cruel, ingiustamente brami; you yearn in vain; perché se perdi amore why if you no longer love se cerchi lealtà, mira che fede, if you seek loyalty, see what faith it is non perdi ancor vaghezza, are you still so fair, amar quand’altrui doni to love when you give to others o non hai pari a la beltà fermezza? why is your beauty not matched by constancy? la mia cara mercede the mercy I love (Battista Guarini) e la sperata tua dolce pietate. and the sweet pity I long for. Ma se cerchi beltate, But if you seek beauty, # Ch’io non t’ami, cor mio? non mirar me, cor mio, mira te stessa look not at me, my love, look at yourself, in questo volto, in questo cor impressa. you who are imprinted on this face, this heart. Ch’io non t’ami, cor mio? Could it be that I love you not, my heart? (Battista Guarini) Ch’io non sia la tua vita e tu la mia? That I am not your life, and you mine? Che per novo desio That I could leave you 5 Stracciami pur il core e per nova speranza i’ t’abandoni? for a new desire, a new hope? Prima che questo sia, I should rather Stracciami pur il core; Destroy my heart then; morte non mi perdoni. be carried away by death. ragion è ben, ingrato, you have good reason, Ma se tu sei quel core onde la vita If you are that heart which che se t’ho troppo amato for if I have loved you too well, m’è sì dolc’e gradita, gives me such sweet and welcome life, porti la pena del commess’errore. you bear the burden of my fault. fonte d’ogni mio ben, d’ogni desire, source of all I love, all I desire, Ma perché stracci fai de la mia fede? But why destroy my faith? come poss’io lasciarti e non morire? how can I leave you and not die? Che colp’ha l’innocente? What guilt does the innocent man bear? (Battista Guarini) Se la mia fiamma ardente If my burning passion non merita mercede, merits not pity, $ Occhi, un tempo mia vita ah, non la merta il mio fedel servire? ah, does not my faithful service? Ma straccia pur, crudele: But do your worst, cruel one: Occhi, un tempo mia vita; Eyes who were once my life; non può morir d’amor alma fedele. a loyal heart cannot die of love. occhi, di questo cor fido sostegno, eyes, you who sustain this faithful heart, Sorgerà nel morir quasi fenice In death will my faith rise like the phoenix, voi mi negate, ahimè, l’usata aita? alas, do you now deny me the aid of days gone by? la fede mia più bell’e più felice. more joyful and more beautiful. Tempo è ben di morire; a che più tardo? It is truly time to die; why delay? (Battista Guarini) A che torcete il guardo? Why does your gaze turn away? Forse per non mirar come v’adoro? Perhaps so as not to see how I adore you? Mirate almen ch’io moro. Watch at least as I die. (Battista Guarini) 8.555309 10 7 8.555309 555309 bk Monte 3 US 19/11/2003 11:58 am Page 6

Il Terzo Libro de Madrigali, 1592 % Vivrò fra i miei tormenti e le mie cure – Prima parte 1 La giovinetta pianta Vivrò fra i miei tormenti e le mie cure, I shall live midst grief and torment, La giovinetta pianta The lovely young plant mie giuste furie, forsennato, errante; dreadful remorse, frenzied, wandering; si fa più bell’al sole, becomes even more beautiful in the sun, paventerò l’ombre solinghe e scure I shall dread the lonely dark shades quando men arder suole. when it is less likely to burn. che ’l prim’error mi recheranno inante, that will ever recall this first mistake, Ma se fin dentro sente But if deep within it feels e del sol che scoprì le mie sventure, and in fear and horror shall I hold the sight il vivo raggio ardente, the bright and burning ray, a schivo ed in orror avrò il sembiante. of the sun that shed light on my misfortune. dimostran fuor le scolorite spoglie its fading leaves show outwardly Temerò me medesmo; e da me stesso I shall fear myself; and though I try to flee l’intern’ardor che la radice accoglie. the inner passion gathered by its roots. sempre fuggend’avrò me sempre appresso. I shall never be free of myself. Così la verginella Thus a fair maiden (Torquato Tasso, Gerusalemme liberata, XII, 77) amando si fa bella, becomes more beautiful if she loves, quand’Amor la lusinga e non l’offende. when Love flatters and does not offend her. ^ Ma dove, oh lasso me! – Seconda parte Ma se ’l suo vivo ardore But if its bright passion la penetra nel core, penetrates her heart, Ma dove, oh lasso me, dove restaro But where, alas, now lie dimostra la sembianza impallidita her outer pallor proves le reliquie del corpo e bello e casto? the remains of that lovely and chaste body? ch’ardente è la radice de la vita. how ardent is the root of life. Ciò che in lui sano i miei furor lasciaro, That which my violent fury left unharmed (anonimo) dal furor de le fère è forse guasto. has now perhaps fallen prey to wild beasts. Ahi troppo nobil preda! ahi dolce e caro Alas, noble prey! alas, too sweet and dear, 2 O come è gran martire troppo pur troppo prezioso pasto! unhappy, too precious to be consumed by beasts. ahi sfortunato! in cui l’ombre e le selve Ah, wretch that I am! Tortured first by darkness O come è gran martire O what suffering it is irritaron me prima e poi le belve. and thick forest and now by wild animals. a celar suo desire, to conceal desire, (Torquato Tasso, Gerusalemme liberata, XII, 78) quando con pura fede when with purest faith s’ama chi non se ’l crede. one loves another who does not believe. & Io pur verrò là dove sète – Terza e ultima parte O soave mio ardore, O sweet passion of mine, o giusto mio desio, o righteous desire, Io pur verrò là dove sète; e voi I shall come to the place where you lie; and if you are s’ognun ama il suo core if each loves his own heart meco avrò, s’anco sète, amate spoglie. still there, I shall stay by your side, beloved remains. e voi sète il cor mio, and you are my heart, Ma s’egli avien che i vaghi membri suoi But if some savage beast allor non fia ch’io v’ami then do not make me love you stati sian cibo di ferine voglie, has fed upon your graceful limbs, quando sarà che viver più non brami. when I no longer wish to live. vuo’ che la bocca stessa anco me ingoi, let its mouth engulf me as well, (Battista Guarini) e ’l ventre chiuda me che lor raccoglie: let it swallow and entomb me: onorata per me tomba [e] felice, for wherever she lies, if I may be with her, 3 Sovra tenere erbette e bianchi fiori ovunque sia, s’esser con lor mi lice. there shall be my honoured, welcome grave. (Torquato Tasso, Gerusalemme liberata, XII, 79) Sovra tenere erbette e bianchi fiori On a bank of soft grass, amid white flowers stava Filli sedendo Phyllis was sitting * Lumi, miei cari lumi ne l’ombra d’un alloro, in the shade of a laurel quando li dissi: «Cara Filli, io moro.» when I said to her, “Dear Phyllis, I am dying”. Lumi, miei cari lumi, Eyes whose beloved light Ed ella a me volgendo And turning to me che lampeggiate un sì veloce sguardo flashes such a fleeting glance vergognosetta il viso, her gently blushing face, ch’a pena mira e fugge that it scarcely sees before escaping frenò frangendo fra le rose il riso among the roses she stifled that laugh e poi torna sì tardo and is so slow to return 8.555309 6 11 8.555309 555309 bk Monte 3 US 19/11/2003 11:58 am Page 12

che ’l mio cor se ne strugge; that my heart is consumed; Delitiae Musicae volgete a me, volgete bring back to me, bring back quei fuggitivi rai, those fugitive rays, Delitiae Musicae represents a plausible reconstruction of a cappella music of the Italian Renaissance. Established ch’oggetto non vedrete for you will never see in 1992, it is considered one of the most interesting Italian early music ensembles, with recordings in the last ten in altra parte mai elsewhere any other years that include the Missa Philomena praevia of Verdelot, four albums dedicated to Masses of Palestrina based con sì giusto desio, with such just desire, on the compositions of the Flemish composer Cipriano de Rore, Lupus and Jacquet de Mantua (Choc du disque che tanto vostro sia quanto son io. who is as much yours as am I. Prize and 9 de Répertoire Prize in France and the Spanish Five Stars award), Adrian Willaert’s Vespro di Natale (Battista Guarini) (CD Classica editor’s choice, April 1999) and books of madrigals by Banchieri, Pazzia senile, Saviezza giovenile, Studio dilettevole and Metamorfosi. ( Rimanti in pace – Prima parte

«Rimanti in pace» a la dolente e bella “Stay here in peace,” said Thyrsis, sighing, Marco Longhini Fillida, Tirsi sospirando disse. to the lovely and grieving Phyllida. «Rimanti, io me ne vo; tal mi prescrisse “Stay here, I go; as decreed by the law, Marco Longhini graduated as a conductor at the Milan Conservatorio and studied legge, empio fato, aspra sorte e rubella.» pitiless destiny, bitter and hostile fate.” architecture in Venice, after earlier studies in composition, choral music and Ed ella ora da l’una e l’altra stella And then, distilling bitter tears conducting and singing. He has concentrated his attention in particular on early stillando amaro umore, i lumi affisse from each of her starry eyes, she fixed her gaze music and on the rediscovery of often unpublished Italian masterpieces of the past. ne i lumi del suo Tirsi e gli trafisse on that of her Thyrsis, and pierced In addition to his work with Delitiae Musicae, which he founded for the study of il cor di pietosissime quadrella. his heart with the most piteous arrows. the repertoire of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, he has a busy career as a (Livio Celiano) conductor of opera, including the Orfeo of Sartorio, oratorios, Masses and sacred music, with performances also for Italian Radio (Monteverdi’s Orfeo). He has ) Ond’ei, di morte la sua faccia impressa – recorded Cavalieri’s Rappresentatione di Anima e di Corpo, awarded two French Seconda parte critics’ prizes, and Monteverdi’s Mass and Litanies of the Blessed Virgin, which won an Italian critical award. Marco Longhini teaches at the L. Marenzio Ond’ei, di morte la sua faccia impressa, Then he, with death engraved upon his face, Conservatorio in Brescia. disse: «Ahi, come n’andrò senza il mio sole, said, “Alas, how can I go without my sun, di martir in martir, di doglie in doglie?» from torment to torment, grief to grief?” Delitiæ Musicæ: Via San Giuseppe, 3a - I 37024 Montecchio di Negrar VR Ed ella, da singhiozzi e pianti oppressa, And she, overcome with sobs and tears, Email: [email protected] fievolmente formò queste parole: faintly formed these words: «Deh, cara anima mia, chi mi ti toglie?» “Ah, my beloved soul, who tears you from me?” (Livio Celiano)

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passions he wishes to describe, and I rediscovered his Celiano. Thyrsis and Phyllida are two humble Delitiæ Musicæ description of the combat between Tancredi and shepherds who, without averting their gaze from one Clorinda, giving me the two opposite passions to set to another, part in great sorrow, with words of love, tears Alessandro Carmignani ...... countertenor (cantus) (a) music, war, in other words prayer, and death”. and sighs. Following the text, the music proceeds Fabian Schofrin ...... countertenor (quintus) (b) Expressing these “passions” presents challenges in haltingly, creating contrasts, led only by the feelings of Gianluigi Ghiringhelli ...... countertenor (cantus III) (c) terms of both composition and performance: the the two lovers who seem almost to speak with one Fabio Fùrnari ...... tenor (quintus-altus) (d) opening of Vattene pur crudel 8 has to portray the voice. The skilful and expressive use of word-painting, Paolo Fanciullacci ...... tenor (altus) (e) powerful invective of the sorceress Armida as in her the masterly and inventive descending chromatic scale Marco Scavazza ...... baritone (tenor) (f) Walter Testolin ...... bass (bassus) (g) pain and distraction she rails agains Rinaldo who has (like that used in 9) on the words “or qui mancò lo decided to leave her and her enchanted castle to return spirto” and for the slowly falling tears of Maurizio Piantelli ...... theorbo (h) to the battlefield. Betrayed and about to collapse in “stilland’amaro umore”, the harmonic instability of “di Carmen Leoni ...... harpsichord (i) grief, she invokes terrible curses (whose power is only martir in martir, di doglie in doglie”, the use of syllabic matched by that of her love for him) so that in his final repetition together with distant chords in “gli trafisse il Marco Longhini ...... conductor moments he will think only of her, with a last, desperate cor” all combine to make this one of the greatest works cry of love. Monteverdi’s setting is brilliant and of the age. harrowing; the notes drip with passionate and In support of what I have already written in the Il Terzo Libro de’ Madrigali, 1592 contrasting sentiments — love and hate break against notes to accompany Books One and Two about our each other as waves break against rocks. Then Armida decision to record these works using male voices only, I 1 La giovinetta pianta ...... a, b, d, e, g, i slowly faints away 9 in a descending, sinuous, should like to add here that Gustave Reese in Music in 2 O come è gran martire ...... a, b, d, f, g, h chromatic sequence of notes, at the end of which she the Renaissance (ch.8, note 162) notes that a re- 3 Sovra tenere erbette e bianchi fiori ...... a, b, d, f, g, i falls senseless to the ground. As she comes round 0, examination of the Mantua archives leads to the 4 .O dolce anima mia, dunque è pur vero ...... a, b, e, f, g, h she realises that she is now completely alone: with the conclusion, despite some historians’ opinion to the 5 Stracciami pur il core ...... a, b, d, f, g, i same technique of syllabic repetition and uttering one contrary, that the cappella served both Santa Barbara 6 O rossignuol ch’in queste verdi fronde ...... a, b, d, e, g final cry of despair, she collapses and weeps. As (the only ducal church in Wert’s time) and the court. 7 Se per estremo ardore ...... a, d, e, f, g Claudio Gallico notes in Monteverdi (1979), these Given that women were not permitted to sing in church, 8 Vattene pur crudel (part 1) ...... a, b, e, f, g pieces from the major poem of the late Renaissance are we have deduced that it was common (and popular) 9 Là tra’l sangue (part 2)...... a, b, e, f, g semi-operatic and of genuinely theatrical nature. practice for madrigals to be performed by men only at 0 .Poi ch’ella in sé tornò (part 3)...... a, b, e, f, g The inherent passion and intensity of these two the Mantuan court — and throughout Italy — at the ! O primavera gioventù de l’anno ...... a, b, d, f, g, i cycles recall the Lamento d’Arianna in the Sixth Book time: such sonorities (while very appealing) may seem @ Perfidissimo volto ...... a, b, e, f, g (Naxos 8.555312); similarly the last madrigal in the strange to modern listeners used to years of # Ch’io non t’ami, cor mio? ...... a, b, d, f, g, h $ Third Book is reminiscent of the final intense triptych of performance by female voices. Recording these works Occhi, un tempo mia vita ...... a, b, d, e, g, h % the First Book, where lyrics by different poets (Guarini in accordance with the earlier practice has been both an Vivrò fra i miei tormenti (part 1)...... a, b, e, f, g ^ Ma dove, oh lasso me! (part 2)...... a, b, e, f, g and Tasso again) are placed together because of their obligation and an pleasure for us, and we hope that just & Io pur verrò là dove sète (part 3) ...... a, b, e, f, g as the use of “authentic instruments” has now found similarity of content. Monteverdi abides by usual * Lumi, miei cari lumi ...... a, b, c, e, f, g, i practice and puts a masterpiece of innovation in this favour in Baroque instrumental performance, so this ( .Rimanti in pace (part 1)...... a, b, d, f, g, h final position — Rimanti in pace (, which evokes practice will in future be fully recognised by critics, ) Ond’ei, di morte (part 2)...... a, b, d, f, g, h again Gerusalemme liberata and the story of Rinaldo academics and all those who love true Music. and Armida (these being Rinaldo’s words to the enchantress just before he leaves her). Yet while here Marco Longhini Urtext Music edited by Andrea Bornstein – Ut Orpheus Edizioni, Bologna too a pair of lovers must endure separation, there is nothing epic about the atmosphere created by Liviano English translation: Susannah Howe

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small number of male singers and instrumentalists, we The innovative nature of this book is visible above know from contemporary reports such as that by the all in the “cycles” of madrigals: much has been written Florentine ambassador in 1571, that at least until 1598 about Monteverdi’s use of declamation in Vattene pur (the year in which the last heir of Alfonso II d’Este died crudel 8 and the charm of the musical transposition of and the Ferrara dukedom passed into the hands of the the two cycles taken from Tasso’s Gerusalemme Roman Church), larger-scale concerts of around sixty liberata (also the source of his later work, Il singers and instrumentalists were staged. These were combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda). Nino Pirrotta undoubtedly exceptional events, proof both of the writes in Scelte poetiche di musicisti (1987) that these esteem in which the art form was held and of the great works contain “singing rather than recitative, because wealth of Ferrara. Given the regular cultural contests the implicit form of performance can avoid the practical and exchanges between the latter and Mantua, it is demands of realistic speech to which performance is too certainly plausible that Monteverdi might have written often subjected ... Song, representation in song, is the pieces expressly dedicated to the Ladies of Ferrara. declared artistic aim”. The sequence of three madrigals Three such pieces appear here: O come è gran %-& that begins with the desperate words “Vivrò fra i martire 2 a superb depiction of that cultured world and miei tormenti” sets to music the moment at the end of of the way in which such feelings would have to be the combat between Tancredi and Clorinda, when the experienced intimately and without outward show at Christian warrior removes his helmet only to realise court; Lumi, miei cari lumi *; and O rossignuol 6. The that he has unwittingly killed his beloved. A dreamlike latter two songs make frequent and effective use of atmosphere is created; the voices seem to fight one madrigalismi, or word-painting (to be found on the another, angry impulses alternating with long moments words “veloce” and “tardo” in Lumi, miei for example; of reflection. Blinded by anger and the violent contest, while in O rossignuol, a swiftly undulating theme on Tancredi is now condemned to wander for eternity in “rio” comes to a standstill on the words “fermarti remorse and self-hatred: the music perfectly portrays suoli”, the nightingale’s song takes flight in a volley of his confused and bewildered state of mind (beginning notes, and the words of suffering, tears and pain, always of ^ and &). The melodies wander harmonically, present in such texts, are treated with dissonant sustained only by syllabic repetition intoned on a single harmonies). note, an obsessive, recitative-like repetition. Yet every The text of one of the Third Book’s most famous time the force builds up it reverberates, leading into a pieces, O primavera, gioventù dell’anno ! is taken new episode in which other voices overlap, interrupted from Mirtillo’s monologue at the beginning of Act by the desperate cries of “ahi sfortunato” ^. The Three of Il pastor fido. This pastoral drama was a outcome of so much sorrow can only be death, the favourite of Duke Vincenzo Gonzaga, as proved by “tomba felice”, a phrase that expresses the Baroque reports of a sumptuous staging in 1598 (after a failed concept of contradiction. attempt in 1591). We do not know for sure, but it seems Both the First and Second Books contain extremely likely that this madrigal was included in that expressive settings of Tasso, but the Third Book performance. The text is polarised between ever- settings have a new drama and intensity (as does the renewing nature with her promise of the joy of new life only Tasso piece in the Fourth Book, Naxos 8.555310). and an unhappy lover nostalgically recalling a love now After an absence in the Fifth and Sixth Books, his work lost for ever; the contrast between these sentiments is reappears with full dramatic force in Combattimento, made even stronger by the music — fast-moving, Monteverdi himself writing in the foreword to the Frontispiece of the original 1592 edition playful episodes are set in opposition to slow, painful Eighth Book in 1638, “I entrusted myself to the divine dissonance. Tasso, whose words so clearly and naturally express the

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Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) Madrigals Book III Also available in this series: ΩMonteverdi’s Third Book of Madrigals was published The first madrigal, La giovinetta pianta, sets an in Venice in 1592 by Ricciardo Amadino and sold anonymous text and is well constructed but not overly extremely well, with five reprints before 1611. Two interesting musically even though it was usual practice further editions published in 1615 and 1621 included a for the first (and last) pieces of such a work to be basso continuo line “for harpsichord, chittarone or other remarkable in some way or another (a practice similar instrument” to aid the instrumentalists who Monteverdi had followed in the Second Book and would otherwise have had to work out their part from would do again in the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth, Naxos the vocal parts and transcribe it by hand. These 8.555310, 8.555311 and 8.555312). As with the First madrigals were clearly in the performance repertoire Book, however, what matters most here is not musical therefore for a good thirty years (quite remarkable innovation but the tribute to the dedicatee: Vincenzo given the rapidly changing tastes at the turn of the Gonzaga, hedonist, spendthrift and libertine (not unlike sixteenth century as monody and opera developed) and Verdi’s Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto...) would no doubt were the composer’s first major success. Having been have been pleased by the explicitly mischievous and engaged two years earlier by the Gonzaga family at the sensual references in a text encouraging young girls to court of Mantua as a humble singer of madrigals and take enjoyment in love. viol-player, by 1592 Monteverdi was also working as a Love is once again the principal theme of these composer alongside Giaches de Wert, maestro di songs, whether in subtle portrayals of sensuality, as in cappella at the ducal chapel of Santa Barbara (where all Sovra tenere erbette 3, or as the source of pain when a the major sacred ceremonies of the court took place). lover’s feelings are unrequited or he is betrayed 4 and By that time Wert was suffering from various illnesses, @. Betrayal is also the theme of the very beautiful including smallpox and malaria, and Monteverdi, keen Ch’io non t’ami # with its tormented finale on the to make his name and hoping to succeed Wert, words “come poss’io lasciarti e non morire”, and of dedicated his Third Book to Duke Vincenzo Gonzaga, Occhi un tempo mia vita $ , with its wealth of partly out of respect, but also well aware that he was contrasting attitudes depicted by the masterly use of offering “mature and tasty fruit” that would be of great horizontal counterpoint (for expressions of love) and interest in the cultural atmosphere of the time. There is vertical harmony (for moments of reluctance and inner no mention here, as there was in the First and Second pain). Books (Naxos 8.555307 and 8.555308), of either his Several of the madrigals in this book (for example origins or his teachers: as a court musician he had both the seventh and twelfth) are characterized by a long assimilated and become part of the sophisticated culture opening passage written for a single voice (a sign of the that had always fascinated him. The Third Book is trend by then to separate out the voices and personalise clearly influenced by the musical, literary, architectural them by providing solo introductions), or for the trio of and other artistic splendours of the Mantuan court. It is the top three voices. Many academics believe that this an innovative, at times revolutionary work, full of bold points to a connection with the Concerto delle Dame di expressive features, which draws once again on the Ferrara, one of the few all-female groups in poems of Torquato Tasso and Giovanni Battista Guarini Renaissance Italy (made up of noblewomen and singers (the author of one of the most famous Renaissance visiting the Ferrarese court). Their flawless taste, 8.555307 texts, Il pastor fido (1589), who was visiting Mantua at technique and virtuosity were renowned throughout the time). Europe; while the usual cappella was made up of a a

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Early Music • Alte Musik DDD Also available in this series: 8.555309

Claudio MONTEVERDI Madrigals Book 3 Delitiæ Musicæ • Marco Longhini

8.555308

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Monteverdi’s Third Book of Madrigals, published in 1592 and dedicated to Duke Vincenzo Gonzaga of AXOS Mantua, was the composer’s first major success and described by him as “mature and tasty fruit”. Clearly influenced by the artistic splendours of the Mantuan court, it is an innovative and at times revolutionary work in which drama and intensity of feeling, allied with a wide range of musical 8.555309 techniques, including declamation and dissonance, are taken to even greater expressive heights than in DDD the First Book (Naxos 8.555307) and the Second Book (Naxos 8.555308). This is particularly evident in the two three-part cycles, Vattene pur crudel (Go then, cruel man) and Vivrò fra i miei tormenti (I shall live 8.555309 midst grief and torment), set to texts from Tasso’s Gerusalemme liberata (). In line

with recent research into performance practice of the time, all the singers on this recording are men. MONTEVERDI: Playing Time Claudio 69:06 MONTEVERDI (1567-1643) Madrigals Book 3 Il Terzo Libro de’ Madrigali, 1592 9 Là tra’l sangue 3:21 1 La giovinetta pianta 3:13 0 Poi ch’ella in sé tornò 3:36

2 O come è gran martire 3:49 ! O primavera gioventù de l’anno 3:33 Madrigals Book 3

Madrigals Book 3 3 Sovra tenere erbette @ Perfidissimo volto 3:31

e bianchi fiori 3:39 # Ch’io non t’ami, cor mio? 5:11 www.naxos.com Made in Canada Sung texts in Italian with English translations Booklet notes in English h

4 O dolce anima mia, $ Occhi, un tempo mia vita 3:10 &

dunque è pur vero 3:31 % Vivrò fra i miei tormenti 1:49 g 5 Stracciami pur il core 3:12 ^ Ma dove, oh lasso me! 3:09 2004 Naxos Rights International Ltd. 6 O rossignuol ch’in queste & Io pur verrò là dove sète 2:40 verdi fronde 4:38 * Lumi, miei cari lumi 2:50 7 Se per estremo ardore 3:27 ( Rimanti in pace 4:01

MONTEVERDI: 8 Vattene pur crudel 2:09 ) Ond’ei, di morte 4:36 Delitiæ Musicæ • Marco Longhini Recorded in the Chiesa di San Pietro in Vincoli, Azzago - Verona, Italy. from 26th to 31th May 2002 Producers: Lodovico and Marco Longhini • Engineer: Michael Seberich 8.555309 Recorded using 24 bit 96 khz technology for high definition sound Recording Supervisor: Antonio Scavuzzo • Booklet Notes: Marco Longhini Cover Image: Music-making, fresco in Music Room (detail) by Giovanni Antonio Fasolo (c.1530-72)

AXOS (The Art Archive / Villa Caldogno Pagello Caldogno Italy / Dagli Orti) N