This edition was prepared by André Vierendeels — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Ach wie werd ich
Staff Notation • Secular, Madrigals
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Ach wie werd ich by Luca Marenzio — Lyrics
Ach, wie werd ich von Cupido bedrenget,
disz hat frau Venus über michver henget,
die ihrem Kind so vil hat einge reumet,
dasz mir von nichts als eitel Liebe treumet.
Ja, wenn es nur ein traum wer oder schatten,
so solt es mir mein Hertz nicht so vermatten,
Ihm aber sind genommen alle kräffte,
Amor liebhafftig macht mir solch geschäffte.
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About Ach wie werd ich
Luca Marenzio, a master of the Italian madrigal, brings his skill to this German secular song. Scored for SAB choir, Ach wie werd ich portrays the torment of love's arrows. The text vividly describes the singer's plight, feeling besieged by Cupid, a situation instigated by Venus herself. The singer laments that even a dream of love would not cause such distress. Love's power is so absolute that it drains all strength, leaving the singer caught between hope and despair. The plea to Venus to chastise her son and bring peace, perhaps through the very person who has captured the singer's heart, underscores the intense, almost unbearable suffering caused by unrequited or overwhelming affection. This piece captures the dramatic emotional language typical of the madrigal tradition.
