Lieto Godea Sedendo

Giovanni Gabrieli

This madrigal, one of Gabrieli’s wedding madrigals, is for double SATB choir and the two choirs sing almost exclusively in turn (antiphonally), imitating each other. In the middle there is a quick triple-time section, before the antiphony returns and eventually the opening motif is returned at the end. This madrigal, which was published in 1587, was very popular during Gabrieli’s lifetime, and arrangements of it exist for lute duet and for solo voice accompanied by lute. Heinrich Schütz also used a version of it in his Psalmen Davids of 1619.

Lieto godea sedendo
L’aura che tremolando
Dolce spira L’aprile;
Ogn’or sospira d’Amor ogn’animale.
Con mortal dardo
Amor volando venn’ e’l cor mi punse
E lasso ahimè fugge meschino me.
Onde n’avrò la morte
S’in lieta non si cangia la mia sorte.

I sat happily enjoying the breeze that sweetly trembling April breathes;
 
 
every hour every animal sighs with love.
With his mortal dart love came flying
and pierced my heart, and, alas,
he escapes to my sorrow
and I shall die of it
unless fate grants my happiness.

Canzon In Echo Duodecimi Toni á 10

Giovanni Gabrieli

This was published in Venice in 1597.

Alla Battaglia

Andrea Gabrieli

Writing music which depicts battle scenes was popular in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and this dramatic madrigal is a fine example of such a piece. The musical setting of the text brings the words vividly off the page, and even contains an onomatopoeic section with nonsense words which is meant to depict brass fanfares. Written for eight-part, double SATB choirs, the musical texture varies between dense polyphony and imitative counterpoint. At the end of the first section the basses of both choirs are given the words ‘dob be dob be dob be dob be dob be dob’ which is meant to depict musically the rallying call of battle drums.

Sento un rumor ch’al ciel si estolle
E turba l’aria e fa tremar la terra.
Quest’e’l nemico nostro, invido e folle,
Ch’ad or ne chiama a sanguinosa guerra,
E scorrendo veloce il piano e’l colle
Preda i beni e i muri atterra.
All’arme ogn’uno, all’arme gridi!
E il tambur chiocchi e l’aversario sfidi.
Alla battaglia, o forti cavalieri,
Venite tutti meco ardidamente
E de’ nemici nostri audaci e fier
Domiam col ferro l’orgoliosa mente.
Sù, trombette suonate!
Fan fari rari raron fan.

E voi, guerrieri ferite,
Ed amazzate la vil gente,
Che vinta con suo danno
E nostra gloria
A noi lascia fuggendo la vittoria.

I hear a sound coming from the heavens
disturbing the air and making the earth tremble.
This is our enemy, envious and crazed,
who calls us to bloody war,
and charging across the plains and hills
plunders property and lays waste city walls.
To arms everyone, to arms!
Beat the drum and defy the enemy.
To battle, O mighty horsemen
take courage all of you, come with me
and boldly, proudly and with daring
put our enemies to the sword.
Up, trumpets play!
[Onomatopoeic vocal fanfare
based on instrumental battle sounds.]
And you, wounded soldiers,
slay these vile people,
who, vanquished and injured,
flee and leave the glory
and the victory to us.