This edition was prepared by Pothárn Imre — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Fontana di dolore
Staff Notation • Secular, Madrigals
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Fontana di dolore by Cipriano de Rore — Lyrics
Fontana di dolore, albergo d’ira,
scola d’errori, et templo d’eresia,
già Roma, or Babilonia falsa et ria,
per cui tanto si piange et si sospira;
5o fucina d’inganni, o pregion dira,
ove ’l ben more, e ’l mal si nutre et cria,
di vivi inferno, un gran miracol fia
se Cristo teco alfine non s’adira.
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About Fontana di dolore
Cipriano de Rore’s Fontana di dolore is a secular Italian madrigal for SATB choir, written in the Renaissance. The text expresses intense disillusionment with Rome, which the poet denounces as a place of sorrow, anger, error, and heresy. He laments its transformation from its pious origins into a corrupt 'Babylon', where good perishes and evil thrives. The poet questions the city’s reliance on its false hopes and corrupt wealth, concluding with a bitter reflection on its current state and a wish for its downfall. This rich and dramatic text offers a powerful emotional landscape for an experienced choir.
