This edition was prepared by Willem Verkaik — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Cosi di ben' amar porto tormento
Staff Notation • Secular, Madrigals
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Cosi di ben' amar porto tormento by Giaches de Wert — Lyrics
Cosi di ben' amar porto tormento,
E del peccato altrui chieggio perdono;
Anzi del mio, chè devea torcer gli occhi
Dal troppo lume, e di Sirene al suono
Chiuder gli orecchi; ed ancor non me'n pento,
Che di dolce veleno il cor trabocchi.
Aspett'io pur, che scocchi
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About Cosi di ben' amar porto tormento
This is a setting of a sonnet by Petrarch, from the composer's sixth book of madrigals, published in 1577. Giaches de Wert's SATTB Cosi di ben' amar porto tormento is a rich and complex piece, exploring the poet's inner turmoil. He laments the pain of loving well, yet simultaneously seeks forgiveness for his own sins, particularly his failure to avert his eyes from excessive light and close his ears to the siren's call. Despite this self-reproach, he claims not to repent, finding his heart overflowing with sweet poison. He anticipates death as a release, a final blow from the one who first wounded him, viewing it as an act of pity from someone who can do nothing else for him. This secular Italian madrigal is ideal for a discerning chamber choir.
