Archive of Seventeenth-Century Italian Madrigals and Arias

Critical edition of "Concerti di camera" by Giovanni Giacomo Arrigoni, Venice, 1635. English translations by John Whenham. Introduction by Pyrros Bamichas.

• Arrigoni (1635)

Claudio Monteverdi (b. 1567, baptised 15 May; d. 29 November 1643)

Scherzi musicali: Cioè Arie, et Madrigali in stil recitativo, con una Ciaccona a 1 et 2 voci (Venice 1632), ed. Andrea Bornstein

Claudio Monteverdi was born in Cremona, where he studied under Marc’Antonio Ingegneri, choirmaster of Cremona cathedral. He served at the Gonzaga court at Mantua from early1590 until 1612, and then as choirmaster of S Marco, Venice, from 1613 until his death in 1643.

Contents / Indice / Inhalt

• The complete edition, with introduction, translations into English and German, notes and critical commentary (1.4Mb)
• Introduction, translations, critical commentary
• 1. Maledetto sia l’aspetto (S, bc)
• 2. Quel sguardo sdegnosetto (S, bc)
• 3. Eri già tutta mia (S, bc)
• 4. Ecco di dolci raggi il Sol armato (T, bc)
• 5. Ed è pur dunque vero (S, bc, ‘con Simfonie’)
• 6. Zefiro torna e di soavi accenti (T, T, bc, ‘Ciaccona’)
• 7. Armato il cor d’adamantina fede (T, T, bc)

Sound Files (prepared by Andrea Bornstein): follow links for individual works

The edition and translations are copyright ©2007 the editor, translators, The University of Birmingham and The University of Heidelberg. They may be freely downloaded for study or performance (including commercial recordings) provided that the edition and translations are properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder(s).

Rovetta, Madrigali...Libro Secondo

Giovanni Rovetta (b. probably 1595-7; d. 23 Oct. 1668)

Madrigali concertati a 2, 3, 5, 6, 8 Et nel fine una cantata à 4, libro secondo Op. 6 (Venice, 1640), ed. John Whenham

Giovanni Rovetta was, certainly from 1614, an instrumentalist at San Marco, Venice. He became Assistant Choirmaster to Monteverdi in 1627, and succeeded him as maestro di cappella at San Marco in 1644, remaining in that post for the rest of his life. He published three volumes of concertato madrigals, in 1629, 1640 and 1645.

Contents / Indice / Inhalt

• The complete edition, with introduction, translations into English and German, notes and critical commentary (4Mb)
• Introduction, translations, critical commentary
• 1. Voi partite, crudele, ah voi partite? (S, S, bc)
• 2. O quante volte, o quante (S, S, bc)
• 3. Sovra il carro stellato in ciel sorgea (T, T, bc)
• 4. Or lieto rido e canto (T, B, bc)
• 5. Ah, mio bene, tu mori! (B. Guarini) (T, B, bc)
• 6. Lacrimosa beltà A, T, B, bc)
• 7. La giovane belissima Adriana (C, T, B, bc)
• 8. Rosa, riso d’Amor, del ciel fattura (G. Marino) (A, T, B, 2vns, bc)
• 9. Che cosa è amor? Chi ’l sa? (C, T, B, 2vlns, bc)
• 10. Tutto lieto cantai, benigno Amore (C, C, A, T, B, bc)
• 11. Venga dal ciel migliore (C, C, A, T, B, 2 Vns, bc)
• 12. A che bramar, a che avventar I dardi? C, C, A, T, T, B, 2vns, bc)
• 13. Io torna, amati lumi, al caro oggetto (C, A, T, B, C, A, T, B, 2 vns, bc)
• 14. Spieghi I contenti suoi che vive amando (Cantata) (C, C, T, B, bc)

Sound Files (prepared by Andrea Bornstein): follow links for individual works

The edition and translations are copyright ©2007 the editor, translators, The University of Birmingham and The University of Heidelberg. They may be freely downloaded for study or performance (including commercial recordings) provided that the edition and translations are properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder(s).

Giovanni Valentini (b. c.1582/83 probably in Venice; d. Vienna, 29/30 April, 1649)

Secondo libro de madrigali a 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, & 11, concertati con voci, et istromenti (Venice, 1616), ed. Pyrros Bamichas

Giovanni Valentini’s first appointment was as organist of the Polish court chapel, in 1604 or 1605. In 1614 he joined the court establishment of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria as chamber organist, and he followed Ferdinand to Vienna when the latter became Holy Roman Emperor in 1619 as Ferdinand II. In December 1619 he was recorded as ‘first imperial court organist’. On 15 June 1626 he succeeded Giovanni Priuli as Hofkapellmeister. He continued in this post under Ferdinand III until his death. Monteverdi, who dedicated his last two publications to members of the imperial family, must have been well acquainted with Valentini’s vocal music, all of which was published at Venice, and it may have been Valentini’s madrigal publications (particularly those of 1616 and 1619) that introduced Monteverdi to the Viennese predilection for battle music, reflected in his own Madrigali guerrieri et amorosi, dedicated to Emperor Ferdinand III and published in 1638.

Contents / Indice / Inhalt

• The complete edition, with introduction, translations into English and German, notes and critical commentary (3.8Mb)
• Introduction, texts and translations, critical commentary
• 1. O come bello appare (C, A, T, B, bc)
• 2. Bella Isabella, bella (C, A, T, B, bc)
• 3. Queste lacrime me (C, A, T, B, bc)
• 4. Chi nudrisse tua speme (C, C, T, T, bc)
• 5. Ridete, pur ridete (C, T, T, B, bc)
• 6. È bello quel che piace (C, T, T, B, bc)
• 7. È sogno o ver? se sogni, ahi chi dipinge (C, A, T, B, bc)
• 8. Schiera d’aspri martiri (C, C, A, T, B, bc)
• 9. Gioir, gioir fugace (C, C, A, T, B, bc)
• 10. Neve e rose ha nel volto (C, C, A, T, B, bc)
• 11. Ardi contento e taci (C, C, A, T, B, bc)
• 12. Ahi, chi mi fa languire (C, A, T, T, B, bc)
• 13. Spente eran nel mio cor l’antiche fiamme (C, C, A, T, B, bc)
• 14. Ecco maggio seren: chi l’ha vestito (C, C, A, T, B, 2vlns, b.vla, bc)
• 15. Vagheggiando le bell’onde (C, C, A, T, B, 2vlns, b.vla, bc)
• 16. Amor amaramente amar mi fai (C, C, A, T, B, B, 2vlns, t.vla, bc)
• 17. In bel giardino all’aura amena e grata (C, A, T, B, 2vlns, a.vla,t.vla, b.vla, vlne, bc)
• 18. Guerra, guerra tu brami (C, C, A, T, T, B, crto, a.vla, t.vla, b.vla, vlne, bc)

Sound Files (prepared by Pyrros Bamichas): follow links for individual works

The edition and translations are copyright ©2012 the editor, translators, The University of Birmingham and The University of Heidelberg. They may be freely downloaded for study or performance (including commercial recordings) provided that the edition and translations are properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder(s).

Giovanni Valentini (b. c.1582/83 probably in Venice; d. Vienna, 29/30 April, 1649)

Musiche concertate con voci, et istromenti, a 6, 7, 8, 9, et 10, con basso continuo (Venice, 1619) ed. Pyrros Bamichas

Giovanni Valentini’s first appointment was as organist of the Polish court chapel, in 1604 or 1605. In 1614 he joined the court establishment of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria as chamber organist, and he followed Ferdinand to Vienna when the latter became Holy Roman Emperor in 1619 as Ferdinand II. In December 1619 he was recorded as ‘first imperial court organist’. On 15 June 1626 he succeeded Giovanni Priuli as Hofkapellmeister. He continued in this post under Ferdinand III until his death. Monteverdi, who dedicated his last two publications to members of the imperial family, must have been well acquainted with Valentini’s vocal music, all of which was published at Venice, and it may have been Valentini’s madrigal publications (particularly those of 1616 and 1619) that introduced Monteverdi to the Viennese predilection for battle music, reflected in his own Madrigali guerrieri et amorosi, dedicated to Emperor Ferdinand III and published in 1638.

Contents / Indice / Inhalt

The complete edition, with introduction, translations into English and German, notes and critical commentary (19.3Mb)

Introduction, texts and translations, critical commentary

1. Orsa bella, crudele (G.B. Marino) (T, T, B, cno, vlne, bc)
2. Fra bianchi gigli e fra vermiglie rose (C, A, T, B, cno, b.vla, bc)
3. Un dì soletto (G. Chiabrera) (C, C, T, T, B, cno, b.vla, bc)
4. Augellino, bel augellino (C, A, T, B, cno, vlne, bc)
5. Caro vezzo d’Amor, con che m’invita (F. Contarini) (C, C, A, T, B, cno, b.vla, bc)
6. È partito il mio bene (G.B. Marino) (C, A, T, T, B, cno, b.vla, bc)
7. Ecco vicine, o bella tigre, l’ore (C. Achillini) (C, C. A, T, T, B, cno, b.vla, bc)
8. Quel augellin che canta (B. Guarini) (C, C, T, T, B, cno, b.vla, bc)
9. Deh fuggite gli Amori (C, C, A, T, T, B, cno, vlne, bc)
10. Tocchin le trombe all’arma (C, C, T, T, B, cno, tbn, vlne, bc)

Sound Files (prepared by Pyrros Bamichas): follow links for individual works

The edition and translations are copyright ©2013 the editor, translators, The University of Birmingham and The University of Heidelberg. They may be freely downloaded for study or performance (including commercial recordings) provided that the edition and translations are properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder(s).