This edition was prepared by Allen Garvin — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Cruda Amarilli
Staff Notation • Secular, Madrigals
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6 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
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Cruda Amarilli by Claudio Monteverdi — Lyrics
Cruda Amarilli, che col nome ancora,
d’amar, ahi lasso! amaramente insegni;
Amarilli, del candido ligustro
più candida e più bella,
ma de l’aspido sordo
e più sorda e più fera e più fugace;
poi ché col dir t’offendo,
i’ mi morrò tacendo.
Ma grideran per me le piaggie, e i monti
e questa selva, a cui
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About Cruda Amarilli
Claudio Monteverdi's Cruda Amarilli is a seminal work from the Italian madrigal tradition. Scored for SATTB voices, it exemplifies the expressive power of secular Renaissance part-music. The text, a poignant lament of unrequited love, describes the singer's suffering and his beloved's cruelty. He contrasts her beauty with her harshness, and despite his pain, he fears that speaking will only offend her further, resolving to die in silence. Even in his silence, he believes nature itself will bear witness to his sorrow, with mountains, forests, rivers, and winds crying out his laments. His suffering will be evident in his countenance, and ultimately, his death will speak of his torment.
