Medieval Venus

Renaissance Venus

Medieval BVM

Renaissance BVM

Can music (the sounds themselves) represent sexuality or sensuousness?

Arcadelt, Il bianco e dolce cigno (The White and Sweet Swan) Il bianco e dolce cignoThe white and sweet swan, Cantando more ed iosinging, dies; and I, Piangendo giung' al fin del viver mio,crying approach the end of my life Stran' e diversa sorte!Such a strange and divergent fate! Ch'ei more sconsolato,For yet he dies in despair Ed io moro beato,and I die content, Morte che nel morireTo die that death M'empie di gioia tutto e di desire.Fulfills all my joys and desires. Se nel morir, altro dolor non sento, If by dying I feel no other sadness Di mille mort'il di, sarei contento. I'll be content to die a thousand times a day. The Madrigal Listen for: form; performing forces; texture(s); text connotations =central secular genre of the Renaissance+ celebration of the bodily and sensual

I. The Renaissance Madrigal: Texts A. Setting of Italian Secular Poetry (erotic, pastoral, or sentimental) B. Poems Short (8-16 lines typical) C. Each line 7 or 11 Syllables D. No fixed rhyme schemes

Il bianco e dolce cignoThe white and sweet swan, Cantando more ed iosinging, dies; and I, Piangendo giung' al fin del viver mio,crying approach the end of my life Stran' e diversa sorte!Such a strange and divergent fate! Ch'ei more sconsolato,For yet he dies in despair Ed io moro beato,and I die content, Morte che nel morireTo die that death M'empie di gioia tutto e di desire.Fulfills all my joys and desires. Se nel morir, altro dolor non sento, If by dying I feel no other sadness Di mille mort'il di, sarei contento. I'll be content to die a thousand times a day. Arcadelt, “Il bianco e dolce cigno”

I. The Renaissance Madrigal: Texts A. Setting of Italian Secular Poetry (erotic, pastoral, or sentimental) B. Poems Short (8-16 lines typical) C. Each line 7 or 11 Syllables D. No fixed rhyme schemes E. No refrain (recurring text)

II. The Renaissance Madrigal: Music A. Form = Through-composed* *immediate repetition for emphasis still=through-composed ·Through-composed form maximizes f it between words/music ·Sacrifices musical unity

Il bianco e dolce cignoThe white and sweet swan, Cantando more || :ed iosinging, dies; and I, Piangendo giung' al fin del viver mio, :|| crying approach the end of my life Stran' e diversa sorte!Such a strange and divergent fate! Ch'ei more sconsolato,For yet he dies in despair Ed io moro beato,and I die content, Morte che nel morireTo die that death M'empie di gioia tutto e di desire.Fulfills all my joys and desires. Se nel morir, altro dolor non sento, If by dying I feel no other sadness Di mille mort'il di, sarei contento. I'll be content to die a thousand times a day. Arcadelt, “Il bianco e dolce cigno

II. The Renaissance Madrigal: Music A. Form = Through-composed* B. Close Text/Music Correspondences C. Each poetic line becomes 1 section of music (marked by cadence) D. A cappella (4, later 5 voices = norm) E. Word-Painting or Madrigalism Then sang the shepherds and nymphs of Diana (homophonic) Long live fair Oriana (imitative polyphonic) *immediate repetition for emphasis still=through-composed M aximizes fi t between words/music Sacrifices musical unity Reflects Sound of the words (speech r hythm; elision) Reflects Stress/Accent (on penultimate syllable) Reflects meaning of words

To whom Diana’s darlings came running down amain First two by two, then three by three together, Leaving their goddess all alone, hasted thither; Examples of Madrigalism or Word-Painting And birdsong and the flowers of the field and the sweet sincerity of lovely women Are now to me as a desert And as pitiless as wild beasts

Friday Night at Bowdoin

II. The Renaissance Madrigal: Music A. Form = Through-composed B. Close Text/Music Correspondences C. Each poetic line becomes 1 section of music (marked by cadence) D. A cappella E. Word-Painting or Madrigalism F. Veiled Sexual Allusions

Il bianco e dolce ci gnoThe white and sweet swan, Cantando mo re singing, dies; Ed io, pian gen do and I, crying giung' al fin del viver mi o,approach the end of my life Stran' e diversa sor te!Such a strange and divergent fate! Ch'ei more sconso la to,For yet he dies in despair Ed io moro be a to,and I die content, Morte che nel mor i reTo die that death M'empie di gioia tutto e di des i re.Fulfills all my joys and desires. Se nel morir, altro dolor non sen to, If by dying I feel no other sadness Di mille mort'il di, sarei con ten to. I'll be content to die a thousand times a day.

III. Listening To Madrigals Some Experiments

Il bianco e dolce cigno cantando mo re The white and sweet swan, Ed io Pian gen do singing, dies; and I, giung' al fin del viver mi o,crying approach the end of my life Stran' e diversa sor te!Such a strange and divergent fate! Ch'ei more sconso la to,For yet he dies in despair Ed io moro be a to,and I die content, Morte che nel mor i reTo die that death M'empie di gioia tutto e di des i re.Fulfills all my joys and desires. Se nel morir, altro dolor non sen to, If by dying I feel no other sadness Di mille mort'il di, sarei con ten to. I'll be content to die a thousand times a day.

IV. The English Madrigal A. Musica transalpina (1588) ed. Thomas Younge First Italian Madrigals published in England C. English Madrigal Flourishes 1590s- 1610s B. Two Phases in Reception of Italian Madrigals Italian Madrigals “Englished” Original Madrigals by English Composers

" As Vesta Was from Latmos Hill Descending " (publ in The Triumphs of Oriana) composer, Thomas Weelkes (c ) As Vesta was from Latmos Hill descending, She spied a maiden Queen the same ascending, Attended on by all the shepherd's swain; To whom Diana's darlings came running down amain First two by two, then three by three together Leaving their Goddess all alone, hasted thither; And mingling with the shepherds of her train, With mirthful tunes her presence did entertain. Then sang the shepherds and nymphs of Diana: Long live fair Oriana!