Petrarch's words become music

Flemish, Italian, and German Renaissance music on texts by Francesco Petrarch

Ohime il bel viso

 

 lute solo

Alla dolce ombra

 

 Ad una fresca riva

 

 
Canzon se l’esser meco

 

 Lieti fiori e felici

 

Spagnoletta

 


Ahi dispietata morte,
ahi crudel vita


Veccie letrose

 


Padre del ciel


lute
solo

Amor, fortuna


Cingari simo venit’a giocare

 

 

I’piango, et ella il volto

 

 

Luca Marenzio 1553/54 – 1599

from: il terzo libro de madrigali a 5 voci 1582


Cipriano de Rore
1515/1516 – 1565

from: il primo libre de madrigali cromatici 1544

Luca Marenzio

from: Villanelle 1587
instrumental

Orlando de Lassus 1532 – 1594

from: Continuation du mellange d’Orlande de Lassus 1584

Hans Leo Hassler 1564 – 1612

from: Madrigali à 5,6,7 & 8 voci 1596

Michael Praetorius 1571 – 1621

from: Terpsichore, Musarum Aoniarum
instrumental

Luca Marenzio

from: Madrigali for 4 voicis 1585

Adriaan Willaert 1490 – 1562

from: Canzone Villanesche alla Napolitana 1545
instrumental

Giaches de Wert 1535 – 1596

from: Il nono Libro di Madrigali à 5 et 6 1588


Adriaan Willaert

Musica Nova 1559

Adriaan Willaert

from: Canzone Villanesche alla Napolitana 1545
instrumental

Luca Marenzio

from: Madrigali à 5 voci Libro 2

The story of Petrarch and Laura is clarified through short text fragments.

Petrarch and Laura

Ohime il bel viso

luit solo

Alla dolce ombra 

Ad una fresca riva 

Canzon se l’esser meco

Lieti fiori e felici  

Spagnoletta

Ahi dispietata morte

Veccie letrose

Padre del ciel

luit solo

Amor, fortuna

Cingari simo venit’a giocare
I’piango, et ella il volto
Luca Marenzio


Cipriano de Rore

Luca Marenzio

Orlando de Lassus

Hans Leo Hassler

Michael Praetorius

Luca Marenzio
Adriaan Willaert

Giaches de Wert


Adriaan Willaert

Adriaan Willaert

Luca Marenzio

 

Summary of our concert 2024
General management: Adelheid Glatt

Petrarch and Laura

Exactly 650 years ago, one of the founders of humanism and of our Western European culture, Francesco Petrarca, passed away. In his numerous written works, he aimed to transcend the dark atmosphere of the Middle Ages by making room for the individual and reason. In fact, he was the first in Europe to engage in the study of classical antiquity. As a cosmopolitan avant la lettre, he traveled through Italy, France, and Germany, among other places. These journeys form the basis of his hundreds of Latin writings in which he discusses a wide range of topics. However, the individual human being always takes precedence. Due to specific language structures, he wrote his prose in Latin and his poetry in Italian. His erudition is evident in his Latin works, while his thoughts, style, words, and sounds come to the forefront in his Italian works.

The “Canzoniere” is one of his most famous works. It is a collection of 366 sonnets and canzones in Italian. They serve as the guiding principle for our program. His love for Laura de Noves, a married woman he met on Good Friday in Avignon in 1327, is the central theme. Because of her unattainability, this form of love was often considered the truest in the Renaissance. Laura continued to inspire Petrarch throughout his entire life.

The “Canzoniere” consists of two parts: the first is about the living Laura, and the second is movingly dedicated entirely to his unwavering love, even after her death.

Even to this day, it is the poetic sound of these verses that continues to inspire many composers. We have chosen composers who were already in Italy during the 16th century or traveled to Italy and came into contact with his poetry: Luca Marenzio, Cipriano De Rore, Orlando De Lassus, Hans Leo Hassler, Giaches De Wert, and Adriaan Willaert.

Adelheid Glatt