This edition was prepared by Allen Garvin — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Alma, se stata fossi a pieno accorta
Staff Notation • Secular, Madrigals
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Alma, se stata fossi a pieno accorta by Giovan Nasco — Lyrics
Alma, se stata fossi a pieno accorta,
Quando cademmo a l'amorosa impresa,
Non ti saresti così tosto resa
A quei begli occhi, e crudi, che t'han morta.
Io fui dal novo e gran diletto scorta,
Et da la luce inusitata offesa;
Ma non erano già la tua difesa
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About Alma, se stata fossi a pieno accorta
Giovan Nasco, a composer of the Italian Renaissance, wrote this secular madrigal for a substantial eight-part choir (SSAAATTB). The text laments a love affair, with the soul regretting its hasty surrender to a lover's 'cruel' eyes. The poet confesses that immediate delight and an unfamiliar brilliance were misleading, and that further defenses beyond sighs and a pale, frightened countenance were insufficient. The only recourse, it seems, is to weep and beg for mercy, a state of languishing and burning that continues. The final line offers a stark piece of advice: one should flee from the 'warriors' of love, for love is conquered only by running away. This intricate vocal writing, typical of the genre, explores the emotional turmoil of unrequited or ill-fated love.
