This edition was prepared by Pothárn Imre — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Che fai, alma? che pensi?
Staff Notation • Secular, Madrigals
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4 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
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Che fai, alma? che pensi? by Orlando di Lasso — Lyrics
Che fai alma? che pensi? havrem mai pace?
havrem mai tregua? od havrem guerra eterna?Che fia di noi, non so; ma in quel ch'io scerna,
a suoi begli occhi il mal nostro non piace.Che pro, se con quelli occhi ella ne face
di state un ghiaccio, un foco quando inverna?Ella non, ma colui che gli governa.Questo ch'è a noi, s'ella s'el vede, e tace?Tal hor tace la lingua, e 'l cor si lagna
ad alta voce, e 'n vista asciutta e lieta,
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About Che fai, alma? che pensi?
Orlando di Lasso’s Che fai, alma? che pensi? is a secular Italian madrigal for SSAATTB voices. The text, drawn from Petrarch’s Canzoniere, opens with a soul questioning whether it will ever find peace or if eternal war awaits. The composer vividly captures the text’s emotional turmoil, portraying a lover’s internal conflict as beauty causes both ice and fire. The music reflects the singer’s struggle, where the tongue may fall silent but the heart laments. Even when outward appearances suggest happiness, inner sorrow can still persist, breaking the mind’s peace. Lasso’s masterful setting explores the profound psychological depths of unrequited love and the deceptive nature of hope in the face of suffering.
