This edition was prepared by André Vierendeels — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Alma fugace
Staff Notation • Secular, Lute songs
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Alma fugace by Giovanni Girolamo Kapsperger — Lyrics
Alma fugace, alma ch'Amor non cura,
do penne armato e col suo stral' non punge.
Questo pallitto aspetto,
mira non per pietam'a perdiletto.
Vedi di morte i languidi sembianti,
odi le voci, odi sospiri tremanti.
Sospir nunzi funesti,
dell' alma ch'al partir par che s'appresti.
Se lieta fusti a' miei duri tormenti,
vedrai più lieta questi lumi spenti.
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About Alma fugace
This setting for solo voice and lute captures the essence of Italian Renaissance secular song. The text is a poignant exploration of unrequited love, with the soul lamenting Cupid's indifference and the cruelty of the beloved. The music likely reflects the heightened emotionalism of the text, moving between pathos and despair. Such songs were often performed in intimate courtly settings, providing entertainment and expressing the ideals of love and beauty prevalent at the time. The single voice part, combined with the lute accompaniment, creates a highly personal and dramatic musical statement.
