This edition was prepared by Pothárn Imre — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Astolfo il suo destrier
Staff Notation • Secular, Madrigals
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2 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
SATB · Pothárn Imre
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Astolfo il suo destrier by Jacquet de Berchem — Lyrics
Astolfo il suo destrier verso il palagio
Che più di trenta miglia intorno aggira,
A passo lento fa muovere adagio,
E quinci e quindi il bel paese ammira;
E giudica, appo quel, brutto e malvagio,
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About Astolfo il suo destrier
Jacquet de Berchem's Astolfo il suo destrier paints a vivid scene from Ariosto's Orlando Furioso. The text describes the knight Astolfo, riding his steed towards the palace, admiring the beautiful countryside around him. He finds the world he inhabits ugly and wicked in comparison to this ideal landscape, concluding that his own fetid world is an offense to heaven and nature. This secular Italian madrigal for SATB voices captures the expressive contrasts of the poem, from the slow, deliberate pace of Astolfo's journey to his judgmental comparison of his surroundings. Berchem's setting reflects the Renaissance tradition of word-painting, bringing the narrative to life through intricate vocal interplay and harmonic colour.
