This edition was prepared by Christos Christodoulou — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Dolcissimo sospiro
Staff Notation • Secular, Madrigals
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Dolcissimo sospiro by Carlo Gesualdo — Lyrics
Dolcissimo sospiro
che esci da quella bocca
ove d’Amor ogni dolcezza fiocca,
deh, vieni a raddolcire
l’amaro mio dolore.
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About Dolcissimo sospiro
Carlo Gesualdo, a pivotal figure in late Renaissance secular part-music, composed this SSATB madrigal. Dolcissimo sospiro sets a poignant Italian text exploring the bittersweet nature of love and longing. The composer crafts a rich harmonic language to express the singer's yearning for a 'sweetest sigh' from a beloved's mouth, a sigh that promises to sweeten the singer's bitter pain. The words speak of opening one's heart, only to question whether this confession is reaching a wandering sigh that might instead find solace with another lover. Gesualdo's intense chromaticism and expressive dissonance vividly portray the emotional turmoil of unrequited or uncertain affection, making this a compelling work for any discerning choir.
