What are the lyrics of L'Orfeo, SV 318 by Claudio Monteverdi?

“L'Orfeo, SV 318” begins: Possente Spirto e formidabil nume,… Read the full lyrics on ChoirPDFs.

Who composed L'Orfeo, SV 318?

L'Orfeo, SV 318 was composed by Claudio Monteverdi.

What language is L'Orfeo, SV 318 sung in?

L'Orfeo, SV 318 is sung in Italian.

L'Orfeo, SV 318 by Claudio Monteverdi — Lyrics & Sheet Music (PDF)

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SSATB

Edition by Peter Rottländer

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Added Jul 31, 2026

18 editions of this piece

Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.

SSATB · Peter Rottländer Preview

SSATB · Sabine Cassola Preview

SSATB · Philip Legge Preview

SSATB · Marcel Gautreau Preview

Composer: Claudio Monteverdi

Format: Staff

Language: Italian

Pages: 109 pages

This edition was prepared by Peter Rottländer — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.

L'Orfeo, SV 318 by Claudio Monteverdi — Lyrics

Possente Spirto e formidabil nume, senza cui far passaggio a l'altra riva alma da corpo sciolta in van presume. Non viv'io, no, che poi di vita è priva mia cara sposa, il cor non è più meco, e senza cor com'esser può ch'io viva? A lei volt'ho 'l camin per l'aer cieco, a l'Inferno non già, ch'ovunque stassi tanta bellezza il paradiso ha seco.

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About L'Orfeo, SV 318

Claudio Monteverdi's L'Orfeo is one of the earliest and most influential operas. This excerpt, sung by SSATB voices in Italian, presents Orpheus pleading with the ferryman Charon to allow him passage into the underworld to retrieve his beloved Euridice. The music reflects the text's dramatic pleas, with the vocal lines weaving together to express Orpheus's desperate hope and profound grief. The secular text, drawn from mythological accounts, explores themes of love, loss, and the power of music to overcome even death itself. Monteverdi's masterful use of vocal polyphony and dramatic expression makes this a pivotal moment in the history of opera.