This edition was prepared by Christos Christodoulou — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Bella Angioletta
Staff Notation • Secular, Madrigals
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2 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
SSATB · Martin Neumann
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Bella Angioletta by Carlo Gesualdo — Lyrics
Bella Angioletta, da le vaghe piume
Prestame al grave pondo
Tanto ch’io esca fuor di questo fondo
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About Bella Angioletta
Carlo Gesualdo's Bella Angioletta is a secular madrigal for SSATB voices, sung in Italian. Gesualdo, a pivotal figure of the late Renaissance, is known for his daring chromaticism and emotional intensity. This work exemplifies those traits, setting a text that speaks of a beloved addressed as a 'beautiful little angel with lovely feathers'. The singer implores this 'angel' to lend strength, to help them escape a dark place, and to allow them to sing of their love from a branch. The polyphony would have been intended for the sophisticated private enjoyment of aristocratic circles, showcasing the expressive power of the madrigal form.
