This edition was prepared by Willem Verkaik — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Cara nemica mia
Staff Notation • Secular, Madrigals
Preview
0
0
Subscribed as
Want Sunday picks sent to another address too?
Free weekly email
Your choir should not be left out in what's trending
Sunday mass selections, psalms, and trending songs in your area — straight to your inbox.
Cara nemica mia by Giaches de Wert — Lyrics
Cara nemica mia,
Benchè per voi sì fieramente io muora,
Non mi duol'il morire,
Sendo peggior di mort'il mio martire.
Duolmi, che, morend'io
Morran meco quegli occhi che v'han vista,
E che speravan di vedervi ancora.
Morrà la lingua che parlò di voi,
E l'orecchie che spesso v'ascoltaro;
Read full lyrics
About Cara nemica mia
Luigi Tansillo's words express the lover's anguish at dying for his beloved, yet he finds solace in the thought that his death may please her. He laments that his senses – his eyes, tongue, and ears – which were devoted to her, will perish with him. The pain of his suffering is immense, but his hope for her joy tempers his own sorrow, leading him to embrace death willingly. Giaches de Wert sets this deeply personal and emotional Italian text for SATB voices. As a secular madrigal from the Renaissance, it showcases intricate polyphony and expressive harmonic language, typical of the genre's exploration of human sentiment through music.
