Like Two Proud Armies by Thomas Weelkes
Remember last Monday's madrigal, the great 'Hor che'l ciel e la terra', from Monteverdi's Eighth Book of Madrigals? Remember how it embodied in some sections the so-called 'warlike style' which Monteverdi writes about in his preface?
Well, here's a madrigal published in 1600, 38 years before Monteverdi's Eighth Book, which dramatically introduces the warlike style in service of its words. It's by Thomas Weelkes (1576-1623), from his 'Madrigals of 5. and 6. Parts'. As with Monteverdi, the war here is entirely metaphorical. In this case, the struggle is between the beauty of the protagonist's lover on the one hand and his reason (which ultimately is hopelessly overwhelmed) on the other. Check out the poem:
Like two proud armies marching in the field,
joining a thund'ring fight, each scorns to yield;
So in my heart, your beauty and my reason:
one claims the crown, the other says 'tis treason.
But O your beauty shineth as the sun,
and dazzled reason yields as quite undone.
Weelkes makes hay while the sun shines with all this, as we hear the confusion and strife of the clashing armies, the thundering sound as they meet; and then the portrayal of each of the adversaries: The gorgeous, open sound signalling her beauty; and the what? which? where? as befuddled reason is summarily vanquished from the field.
It's a small but potent piece, scored (as with Monteverdi) for six voices, all the better to represent the chaos and the alarums and the excursions. Not hard to put together and incredibly fun to sing.
Attached are score and recording. The latter is by 'The Queen's Six', from their album 'Her Heavenly Harmony: Profane Music from the Queen's Court', and is quite wonderful. But you might also want to check out this other recording on YouTube. It's by the Consort of Musicke, directed by Anthony Rooley, and though a little rough around the edges, it lends an especially vigorous sound and mood, especially to the martial passages.
Remember last Monday's madrigal, the great 'Hor che'l ciel e la terra', from Monteverdi's Eighth Book of Madrigals? Remember how it embodied in some sections the so-called 'warlike style' which Monteverdi writes about in his preface?
Well, here's a madrigal published in 1600, 38 years before Monteverdi's Eighth Book, which dramatically introduces the warlike style in service of its words. It's by Thomas Weelkes (1576-1623), from his 'Madrigals of 5. and 6. Parts'. As with Monteverdi, the war here is entirely metaphorical. In this case, the struggle is between the beauty of the protagonist's lover on the one hand and his reason (which ultimately is hopelessly overwhelmed) on the other. Check out the poem:
Like two proud armies marching in the field,
joining a thund'ring fight, each scorns to yield;
So in my heart, your beauty and my reason:
one claims the crown, the other says 'tis treason.
But O your beauty shineth as the sun,
and dazzled reason yields as quite undone.
Weelkes makes hay while the sun shines with all this, as we hear the confusion and strife of the clashing armies, the thundering sound as they meet; and then the portrayal of each of the adversaries: The gorgeous, open sound signalling her beauty; and the what? which? where? as befuddled reason is summarily vanquished from the field.
It's a small but potent piece, scored (as with Monteverdi) for six voices, all the better to represent the chaos and the alarums and the excursions. Not hard to put together and incredibly fun to sing.
Attached are score and recording. The latter is by 'The Queen's Six', from their album 'Her Heavenly Harmony: Profane Music from the Queen's Court', and is quite wonderful. But you might also want to check out this other recording on YouTube. It's by the Consort of Musicke, directed by Anthony Rooley, and though a little rough around the edges, it lends an especially vigorous sound and mood, especially to the martial passages.