This edition was prepared by Mats Lillhannus — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Dolor non fu
Staff Notation • Secular, Madrigals
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Dolor non fu by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina — Lyrics
Dolor non fù, ne fia,
Che pareggiar si poss' al dolor mio;
Tant' è noioso e rio,
Che mille volte il dì vorrei la morte.
Ma mia spietata sorte
Non vuol, fiera crudel, che io moro ancora,
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About Dolor non fu
Palestrina’s secular madrigal Dolor non fu sets a deeply personal and dramatic Italian text. The words lament an unbearable sorrow, so profound that the singer wishes for death a thousand times a day. Yet, fate cruelly denies this release, prolonging the agony. The text expresses a conflict between the desire for oblivion and the necessity of enduring suffering for the sake of a beloved whose fiery passion consumes all who adore them. This SATTB setting captures the intense emotional turmoil with Palestrina’s characteristic clarity and contrapuntal skill, offering a poignant exploration of unrequited love and despair.
