This edition was prepared by Gerhard Weydt — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Crudel aspro dolore
Staff Notation • Secular, Madrigals
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Crudel aspro dolore by Philippe de Monte — Lyrics
Crudel aspro dolore,
Ch’in mez’al cor ristretto
Con doppia forza lo percuoti e ancidi,
Esci homai esci fuora
De l’angoscioso petto,
Apri la strada al pianto, aprila a i gridi,
Che, se colei ch’io vidi
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About Crudel aspro dolore
Philippe de Monte’s Crudel aspro dolore is a compelling six-part madrigal for SSAATTBB voices. The music immediately captures the anguish of the text, with dissonances and chromaticism reflecting the singer’s intense suffering. The composer skillfully contrasts moments of stark intensity with passages of more flowing polyphony, mirroring the text’s plea for release and understanding. The Italian lyrics speak of a cruel, bitter pain that strikes the heart, and a desperate desire for tears and cries to express this torment. The singer longs for the object of their affection to know the cause of their death, finding a strange solace in this thought, even as it leads to their demise. This secular Renaissance part-song offers rich harmonic language and dramatic textual interpretation.
