This edition was prepared by Allen Garvin — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
E dove non potea
Staff Notation • Secular, Madrigals
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E dove non potea by Andrea Gabrieli — Lyrics
E dove non potea la debil voce,
Supliva il pianto e ’l batter palma a palma.
Dove fuggi, crudel, così veloce?
Non ha il tuo legno la debita salma.
Fa che lievi me ancor: poco gli nuoce
Che porti il corpo, poi che porta l’alma.
E con le braccia e con le vesti segno
Fa tuttavia, perché ritorni il legno.
Ma i venti che portavano le vele
Per l’alto mar di quel giovene infido,
Portavano anco i prieghi e le querele
De l’infelice Olimpia, e ’l pianto e ’l grido;
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About E dove non potea
This is a secular Italian madrigal for three voices (SAT) by Andrea Gabrieli. The text, which speaks of a lover's lament and desperation, depicts a woman named Olimpia, abandoned by her lover, contemplating suicide and crying out to him. The music would suit a moment of dramatic storytelling within a concert program, perhaps exploring themes of unrequited love and the power of lament. Gabrieli, a significant figure of the Venetian school, composed many such works, showcasing the expressive potential of polyphony in the late Renaissance.
