This edition was prepared by James Gibb — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Ardita zanzaretta
Staff Notation • Secular, Madrigals
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Ardita zanzaretta by Carlo Gesualdo — Lyrics
Ardita zanzaretta
morde colei che il mio cor strugge e tiene
in così crude pene;
fugge poi, e rivola
in quel bel seno che il mio cor invola,
indi la prende e stringe e le dà morte
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About Ardita zanzaretta
Carlo Gesualdo's Ardita zanzaretta is a five-part (SSATB) secular madrigal from the Italian Renaissance. The text uses the image of a bold mosquito biting the beloved's breast, an action the poet wishes to emulate. This bold imagery is mirrored in Gesualdo's famously daring harmonic language, which pushes the boundaries of chromaticism and expressive dissonance. The music vividly captures the text's mixture of pain and pleasure, with moments of intense chromaticism depicting the sting and the subsequent bliss. This highly dramatic and sophisticated work is ideal for advanced choirs seeking to explore the expressive power of the Italian madrigal tradition and Gesualdo's unique, intense style.
