This edition was prepared by Allen Garvin — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
A la dolce ombra de le belle frondi
Staff Notation • Secular, Madrigals
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A la dolce ombra de le belle frondi by Cipriano de Rore — Lyrics
A la dolce ombra de le belle frondi
corsi fuggendo un dispietato lume
che'n fin qua giù m'ardea dal terzo cielo;
et disgombrava già di neve i poggi
l'aura amorosa che rinova il tempo,
et fiorian per le piagge l'erbe e i rami.
Non vide il mondo sì leggiadri rami,
né mosse il vento mai sì verdi frondi
come a me si mostrar quel primo tempo:
tal che, temendo de l'ardente lume,
non volsi al mio refugio ombra di poggi,
ma de la pianta più gradita in cielo.
Un lauro mi difese allor dal cielo,
Onde più volte vago de' bei rami
Da po' son gito per selve et per poggi;
Né giamai ritrovai tronco né frondi
Tanto honorate dal superno lume
Che non cangiasser qualitate a tempo.
Però più fermo ogni or di tempo in tempo,
Seguendo ove chiamar m’udia dal cielo
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About A la dolce ombra de le belle frondi
Cipriano de Rore’s A la dolce ombra de le belle frondi is a secular Italian madrigal for SAAT voices. The music opens with a sense of urgent flight, the voices entering in quick succession to depict the poet fleeing from an 'unrelenting light'. The texture is rich and imitative, with the four parts weaving together seamlessly. As the text progresses, the mood softens, reflecting the beauty of nature and the poet’s search for refuge. The composer uses the voices to paint vivid images of spring, with blossoming branches and fragrant breezes, creating a delicate and evocative sound-world. This is exquisite part-music from the height of the Renaissance, showcasing de Rore’s mastery of expressive harmony and contrapuntal writing.
