Sfogava con le stelle by Claudio Monteverdi
Today, we're all about the divine Claudio Monteverdi and his astounding madrigal, 'Sfogava con le stelle'. It's from his 'Quarto libro de' madrigali a cinque voci' of 1603, and, even in the company of the 19 other works in that signal publication, it stands out.
But what makes it do so? First, I'd say the poem, by Ottavio Rinuccini (1562-1621). It features a love-sick man pouring out his grief to the stars, and attempting to enlist their assistance in inspiring the object of his affections to return his love, thereby attributing to the stars a sort of double metaphorical meaning: Their brilliance brings vividly to his mind the beauty of his beloved; but the same warmth and brightness could show to her the intensity of his love.
Monteverdi uses a number of the arrows in his madrigalian quiver to bring this text to vivid life; but none more unusual (or effective) than his use of the technique of 'fauxbourdon'. As some of you may recall from a few earlier posts on other works--the Magnificat of Thomas Selle comes to mind--this was a kind of text-setting, generally reserved for sacred music, in which all voices join together in an unmeasured chord, under which the lyrics are written, with no indication of exactly what rhythms are to be applied. It's up to the performers to agree upon a sort of speech-rhythm which most convincingly projects the text. Because some of the chords are extended over quite a lengthy passage of text, and because they eventually resolve to a quite different chord, a kind of visceral intensity can be built up which adds powerfully to the drama of a piece.
You can see the notation for this effect in various passages of the attached score, and hear an interpretation on the attached recording. A text-translation sheet and Cinzia's pronunciation recording are also attached.
Some few others of the above-noted arrows which appear in 'Sfogava con le stelle' include the following:
--Dramatic use of range, both high and low;
--Sweeping upward and downward motion, sometimes both simultaneously in different groups of voices;
--Classic word painting such as on the word 'vivi' ('lively');
--Sharply etched, expressive motives such as on 'Pietosa sí'.
It all makes for a wild ride, and for an unforgettable evocation of 'un infermo d'amore'.
-----
I hope many of you can join us tomorrow night for 'Heartfelt Love', a close examination of the powerful chorale 'Herlich lieb hab ich dich, O Herr' and many of its iterations and transformations over nearly 200 years. Featured composers include Michael Praetorius; Johann Hermann Schein; Dieterich Buxtehude; and, of course, JS Bach. We'll learn about and sing these great settings, closing with the immortal final chorale from the 'St. John Passion'.
Today, we're all about the divine Claudio Monteverdi and his astounding madrigal, 'Sfogava con le stelle'. It's from his 'Quarto libro de' madrigali a cinque voci' of 1603, and, even in the company of the 19 other works in that signal publication, it stands out.
But what makes it do so? First, I'd say the poem, by Ottavio Rinuccini (1562-1621). It features a love-sick man pouring out his grief to the stars, and attempting to enlist their assistance in inspiring the object of his affections to return his love, thereby attributing to the stars a sort of double metaphorical meaning: Their brilliance brings vividly to his mind the beauty of his beloved; but the same warmth and brightness could show to her the intensity of his love.
Monteverdi uses a number of the arrows in his madrigalian quiver to bring this text to vivid life; but none more unusual (or effective) than his use of the technique of 'fauxbourdon'. As some of you may recall from a few earlier posts on other works--the Magnificat of Thomas Selle comes to mind--this was a kind of text-setting, generally reserved for sacred music, in which all voices join together in an unmeasured chord, under which the lyrics are written, with no indication of exactly what rhythms are to be applied. It's up to the performers to agree upon a sort of speech-rhythm which most convincingly projects the text. Because some of the chords are extended over quite a lengthy passage of text, and because they eventually resolve to a quite different chord, a kind of visceral intensity can be built up which adds powerfully to the drama of a piece.
You can see the notation for this effect in various passages of the attached score, and hear an interpretation on the attached recording. A text-translation sheet and Cinzia's pronunciation recording are also attached.
Some few others of the above-noted arrows which appear in 'Sfogava con le stelle' include the following:
--Dramatic use of range, both high and low;
--Sweeping upward and downward motion, sometimes both simultaneously in different groups of voices;
--Classic word painting such as on the word 'vivi' ('lively');
--Sharply etched, expressive motives such as on 'Pietosa sí'.
It all makes for a wild ride, and for an unforgettable evocation of 'un infermo d'amore'.
-----
I hope many of you can join us tomorrow night for 'Heartfelt Love', a close examination of the powerful chorale 'Herlich lieb hab ich dich, O Herr' and many of its iterations and transformations over nearly 200 years. Featured composers include Michael Praetorius; Johann Hermann Schein; Dieterich Buxtehude; and, of course, JS Bach. We'll learn about and sing these great settings, closing with the immortal final chorale from the 'St. John Passion'.