Edited by David Greer
This is the first ever complete published edition of a major madrigal collection that is essential to our understanding of the fruitful interaction of Renaissance Italian and English music.
In four, five and six voices, the 57 pieces of Musica Transalpina include 51 madrigals by Marenzio, Palestrina and others, the two parts of Byrd's 'La virginella', and four French chansons. Uniquely, the anthology also features singing translations of the original poems from the Italian into the vernacular, for which it was widely admired and circulated. As a printed source from which composers could learn the madrigal style and aesthetic, it was hugely influential in inspiring the 'golden age' of Tudor and Jacobean vocal music.
An important addition to The English Madrigalists series, Musica Transalpina of 1588 is not only of great scholarly interest but is also an outstanding addition to the repertoire that will delight contemporary singers no less than it enthralled those Elizabethans who first responded with such enthusiasm to its fine music and accessible 'Englished' texts.
CONTENTS
Madrigals for four voices
1 Noë Faignient - These that be certain signs of my tormenting
2 Giovanni de Macque - The fair Diana never more revived
3 Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina - Joy so delights my heart and so relieves me
4 Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina - False Love, now shoot and spare not
5 Baldassare Donato - O Grief, if yet my grief be not believed
6 Baldassare Donato - As in the night we see the sparks revived
7 Philippe de Monte - In vain he seeks for beauty that excelleth
8 Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina - What meaneth Love to nest him
9 Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina - Sweet Love, when hope was flow'ring
10 Marc'Antonio da Pordenon - Lady, that hand of plenty
11 Giaches de Wert - Who will ascend to heav'n, and there obtain me
12 Cornelis Verdonck - Lady, your look so gentle
Madrigals for five voices
13 -14 Philippe de Monte - From what part of the heav'n, from what example
- Part II, In vain he seeks for beauty that excelleth
15 Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina - In ev'ry place I find my grief and anguish
16 -18 Luca Marenzio - Thyrsis to die desired
- Part II, Thyrsis that heat refrained
- Part III, Thus these two lovers fortunately died
19 Orlando di Lasso - Susanna fair, sometime of love requested
20 Alfonso Ferrabosco - Susanna fair, sometime of love requested
21 Noë Faignient - When shall I cease lamenting?
22 Luca Marenzio - I must depart all hapless
23 -24 Alfonso Ferrabosco - I saw my lady weeping, and Love did languish
- Part II, Like as from heav'n
25 Giovanni Ferretti - So gracious is thy self, so fair, so framed
26 Giovanni Ferretti - Cruel! unkind! my heart thou hast bereft me
27 Luca Marenzio - What doth my pretty darling?
28 -29 Stefano Felis - Sleep, sleep, mine only jewel
- Part II, Thou bring'st her home full nigh me
30 Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina - Sound out, my voice, with pleasant tunes recording
31 Luca Marenzio - Liquid and wat'ry pearls Love wept full kindly
32 Orlando di Lasso - The nightingale, so pleasant and so gay
33 Giovanni Ferretti - Within a greenwood sweet of myrtle savour
34 Rinaldo del Mel - Sometime, when hope relieved me, I was contented
35 Alfonso Ferrabosco - Rubies and pearls and treasure
36 Alfonso Ferrabosco - O sweet kiss, full of comfort
37 Alfonso Ferrabosco - Sometime my hope full weakly
38 Lelio Bertani - Lady, that hand of plenty
39 Girolamo Conversi - My heart, alas, why dost thou love thine enemy?
40 Alfonso Ferrabosco - Lady, if you so spite me 160
41 Giovanni Battista Pinello - When I would thee embrace (Cantio rustica)
42 Alfonso Ferrabosco - Thyrsis enjoyed the graces
43 Alfonso Ferrabosco - The nightingale, so pleasant and so gay
44 -45 William Byrd - The fair young virgin is like the rose untainted
- Part II, But not so soon: from green stock where it growed
Madrigals for six voices
46 Luca Marenzio - I will go die for pure love
47 Alfonso Ferrabosco - These that be certain signs of my tormenting
48 -49 Alfonso Ferrabosco - So far from my delight, what cares torment me
- Part II, She only doth not feel it
50 Anonymous - Lo, here my heart in keeping
51 Luca Marenzio - Now must I part, my darling
52 -53 Girolamo Conversi - Zephyrus brings the time that sweetly scenteth
- Part II, But with me, wretch, the storms of woe persever
54 -55 Alfonso Ferrabosco - I was full near my fall, and hardly 'scaped
- Part II, But as the bird that in due time espying
56 -57 Luca Marenzio - I sung sometime the freedom of my fancy
- Part II, Because my love, too lofty and too despiteful
