L'aria s'oscura
Staff Notation • Secular, Madrigals
2 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
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L'aria s'oscura by Alessandro Striggio — Lyrics
About L'aria s'oscura
Alessandro Striggio’s L'aria s’oscura paints a nocturnal scene where the air darkens and the moon appears, while wild animals and birds fall silent. Only the solitary narrator laments, questioning fate and his beloved's cruelty. The text vividly expresses his torment, finding himself mocked by his love who hides behind a window after beckoning him. The second part reveals a tender, perhaps feigned, concern from his beloved, Margherita, urging him not to grieve so deeply. Composed for a striking SSATTB voicing, this secular madrigal from the Renaissance era offers rich harmonic possibilities to convey the dramatic and emotional contrasts of the poem.