After writing what became my First Book of Madrigals for the Hilliard Ensemble, setting texts by Blake Morrison, starting in 1998, I turned to Petrarch for my second book. Coincidentally the first four madrigals in Book One happened to be written on Mondays and so I wrote each of the remaining ones on Mondays too. I realised that, in a way, this committed me to seven books, and for each to be written within a single day like those in the first book. Each madrigal in Book Two, for six voices, was indeed written on a Tuesday, and on some Tuesdays more than one was written. With Book Three, which set John Millington Synge’s wonderful translations of Petrarch, I maintained this pattern and each madrigal was written on a Wednesday – these are for three voices and lute (I later made ensemble versions, collected as Irish Madrigals). With fourth book, however, I departed from my rule, chiefly because these do not set 14-line sonnets, but are sestine which have six verses with six lines each and a final three-line verse to end. These are for eight voices and took much longer than one day to compose…
But I did draw up a list all the sonnets from the Rime Sparse that I had set, as well as those that I could set in the future. Here is that list.
Madrigals
Petrarch settings (from Rime Sparse)
1. To set:
57 “Mie venture al venir son tarde et pigre”
65 “Lasso, che mal accorto fui da prima”
75 “I begli occhi ond’ I’ fui percosso in guisa”
79 “S’ al principio risponde il fine e ‘l mezzo”
90 “Erano i capei d’oro a l’aura sparsi”
101 “Lasso, ben so che dolorosa prede”
123 “Quel vago impallidir, che ‘l dolce riso”
124 “Amor, Fortuna, et la mia mente, schiva”
134 “Pace non trovo et non ò da far Guerra”
161 “O passi sparsi, o pensier vaghi et pronti”
245 “Due rose fresche et colte in paradiso”
348 ” Da’ più belli occhi, et dal più chiaro viso”
2. Possible
36 “S’ io credesse per morte essere scarco”
47 “Io sentia dentr’ al cor già venir meno”
(Poems excluded from the Rime sparse)
9 “L’oro e le perle e I bei fioreti e l’erba”
10 “Nuova bellezza in abito gentile” – 12 lines
3. Second Book of Madrigals
1. “Benedetto sia ‘l giorno e ‘l mese et l’anno” 61
2. “Io son già stanco di pensar sì come” 74
3. “Quando dal proprio sito si remove” 41/”Ma poi che ‘l dolce riso” 42
4. “Poi che voi et io più volte abbiam provato” 99
5. “Non veggio ove scamper mi possa omai” 107
6. “Ponmi ove ‘l sole occide I fiori et l’erba” 145
7. “Non Tesin, Po, Varo, Arno, Adige et Tebro” 148
8. “I’ vidi in terra angelici costumi” 156
9. “O passi sparsi, o pensier vaghi et pronti” 161
10.”Una candida cerva sopra l’erba” 190
11.”Che fai? Che pensi?” 273 / “Datemi pace” 274 (273 also Book Three number 2)
12.”Amor, che meco al buon tempo ti stavi” 303
13.”Fu forse un tempo dolce” 344 (also Synge no. 16)
14.”Morte à spento quell sol ch’ abagliar suolmi” 363
+ Marconi’s Madrigal: “Se ‘l sasso ond’ è più chiusa questa valle” 117
4. Third Book of Madrigals: Synge (set in translation)
also as Eight Irish Madrigals(“8.”) and Nine Irish Madrigals (“9.”)
1. Laura being dead, Petrarch finds trouble in all the things of the earth (9.1)
272 “La vita fugge et non s’arresta un’ora”
2. He asks his heart to raise itself up to God (also Book Two number 11) (8.1)
273 “Che fai? che pensi?”
3. He wishes he might die and follow Laura (8.2)
278 “Ne l’età sua più bella et più fiorita”
4. Laura is ever present to him (9.2)
279 “Se lamentar augelli, o verdi fronde”
5. He considers that he should set little store on earthly beauty (8.3)
280 “Mai no fui in parte ove sì chiar vedesi”
6. He recalls his visions of her (9.3)
281 “Quante fiate al mio dolce ricetto”
7. He finds comfort and rest in his sorrows (8.4)
282 “Alma felice che sovente torni”
8. He ceases to speak of her graces and her virtues which are no more (9.4)
292 “Gli occhi di ch’ io parlai sì caldamente”
9. He considers the reasons for his verses (9.5)
293 “S’ io avesse pensato che sì care”
10. He is jealous of the Heavens and the Earth (8.5)
300 “Quanta invidia io ti porto, avara terra”
11. The fine time of the year increases Petrarch’s sorrow (9.6)
310 “Zefiro torna e ‘l bel tempo rimena”
12. He understands the great cruelty of death (8.6)
314 “Mente mia, che presaga de’ tuoi Danni”
13. The sight of Laura’s house reminds him of the great happiness he has lost (9.7)
321 “E’ questo ‘l nido in che la mia fenice”
14. He sends his rhymes to the tomb of Laura to pray her to call him to her (9.8)
333 “Ite, rime dolente, al duro sasso”
15. Only he who mourns her and Heaven that possesses her knew her while she lived (9.9)
338 “Lasciato ài, Morte, senza sole il mondo”
16. Petrarch is unable to contain his grief (8.7)
344 “Fu forse un tempo dolce cosa amore” (also Second Book no. 13)
17. Laura waits for him in heaven (8.8)
346 “Li angeli eletti et l’anime beate”
5 Fourth Book of Madrigals: Sestine (6 verses, each with 6 lines, plus 3 line envoi)
1: 22 “A qualunque animale” (for Villa I Tatti)
2: 142 “A la dolce ombra de le belle frondi”
3: 80 “Chi è fermato” (For Other Minds)
Remaining eight sestine (not yet set)
30 “Giovene donna sotto un verde lauro”
66 “L’aere gravato et l’importuna nebbia”
70 “Lasso me, ch’ I’ non so in qual parte pieghi” (5 verses, each ending with a quotation)
206 “S’ I’ ‘l dissi mai”
214 “Anzi tre di creata era alma in parte”
237 “Non à tanti animali il mar fra l’onde”
239 “La ver l’aurora, che si dolce l’aura”
6. Fifth Book of Madrigals (The “I Tatti” Madrigals)
1. (Petrarch) 229 “Cantai, or piango, e non men di dolcezza”
2. (Petrarch) 230 “I’ piansi, or canto; che ‘l celeste lume”
3 Bronzino ” L’aura vostr’alma”
4 Battiferri: Bronzino in ciel l’alma beata luce”
5 Battiferri 48 “Qual per l’onde turbate”
6.Battiferri: 53 “Fra queste piagge”
7. Battiferri: 54 “Ergiti infin”
8. Battiferri” 55 “Temprato aer sereno”
9. Bronzino: 76 “Del Bronzino pittore”
10. Battiferri: 77 (Risposta) “Se fermo è ne destin che lachrimando”
11. Michelangelo Buonarroti il Giovane: “Chi punto ha ‘l core”
8. Sixth Book of Madrigals (Petrarch)
1. 1. “Voi ch’ascoltate in rime sparse”
2. 2 “Per fare una leggiadra sua vendetta”
3. 3 “Era il giorno ch’al sol si scoloraro”
4. 17 “Piovonmi amare lagrime dal viso”
5. 18 “Quand’ io son tutto volto in quella parte”
6. 246 “L’aura che ‘l verde lauro et l’aureo crine”
7. 249 “Qual paura ò quando mi torna a mente”
8. 251 “O misera et orribil visione!”
9. 255 La sera desiare, odiar l’aurora”
10. 259 “Cercato ò sempre solitaria vita”
9. Seventh Book of madrigals (Petrarch) – Female voices
(Two Love Songs- three part)
1. 85 “Io amai sempre, et amo forte ancora”
2. 35 “Solo et pensoso i più deserti campi
3. three-part
4. three-part
5. four-part
6. four-part
7. six-part
8. six-part
9. twelve-part
(possible Rime Sparse for Seventh Book)
62
64
74
81 ((Wings of a Dove)
122 (Oi me lasso)
124
161
245
10. Eighth Book of Madrigals (Petrarch)
1. 353: “Vago augelletto, che cantando vai”
2. 354: “Deh, porgi mano a l’affannato ingegno”
3. 355: “O tempo, O ciel volubil che fuggendo”
4. 356: “L’aura mia sacra”
5. 357: “Ogni giorno mi par più di mill’anni”
6. 358: “Non po far Morte il dolce viso amaro”
7. 361: “Dicemi spesso il mio fidato speglio”
8. 362: “Volo con l’ali de’ pensieri al Cielo”
9. 363: “Morte à spento” – slightly revised version of Book Two no. 14
10. 364: “Tennemi Amor anni ventuno ardendo”
11. 365: “I’ vo piagendo i miei passati tempi”