This edition was prepared by Willem Verkaik — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Cantai, hor piango, e non men di dolcezza
Staff Notation • Secular, Madrigals
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Cantai, hor piango, e non men di dolcezza by Giaches de Wert — Lyrics
Cantai, or piango, et non men di dolcezza
del pianger prendo che del canto presi,
ch'a la cagion, non a l'effetto, intesi
son i miei sensi vaghi pur d'altezza.
Indi et mansüetudine et durezza
et atti feri, et humili et cortesi,
porto egualmente, né me gravan pesi,
né l'arme mie punta di sdegni spezza.
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About Cantai, hor piango, e non men di dolcezza
Giaches de Wert’s Cantai, hor piango, e non men di dolcezza offers a rich exploration of contrasting emotions. Composed for SATTB voices, this Italian secular madrigal captures a complex emotional state where sorrow and pleasure intertwine. The text describes a shift from singing to weeping, finding equal sweetness in both. The composer masterfully portrays the singer’s unwavering focus on the source of his feelings rather than the feelings themselves, embracing a paradoxical state of being. Despite potential hardship, the text asserts a profound inner happiness, suggesting that even bitterness has a sweet root. This work is well-suited for a chamber choir seeking to express nuanced human experience through the sophisticated polyphony characteristic of the Renaissance madrigal.
