This edition was prepared by Allen Garvin — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Grazie ch'a pochi il ciel largo destina
Staff Notation • Secular, Madrigals
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Grazie ch'a pochi il ciel largo destina by Giaches de Wert — Lyrics
Grazie ch'a pochi il ciel largo destina:
rara vertú, non già d'umana gente,
sotto biondi capei canuta mente,
e 'n humil donna alta beltà divina;
leggiadria singulare et pellegrina,
e 'l cantar che ne l'anima si sente,
l'andar celeste, e 'l vago spirto ardente,
ch'ogni dur rompe et ogni altezza inchina;
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About Grazie ch'a pochi il ciel largo destina
Giaches de Wert was a leading composer of madrigals in the late 16th century. This secular Italian work for SSATTB voices exemplifies the genre's focus on text-setting and expressive harmony. The text praises rare virtues bestowed by heaven on a select few: a wise mind in youth, divine beauty in a humble woman, and an enchanting singing voice. It continues to describe celestial grace, a spirit that can soften the hardest heart, and eyes that banish darkness. The poem concludes with the speaker's transformation through the beloved's sweet words, sighs, and profound influence, highlighting the power of love and beauty as depicted in Renaissance courtly ideals.
