Claudio monteverdi instruments clip

"Tu Se Morta" ("You are dead") from Orfeo

Listening Guide

Composer: Claudio Monteverdi

Composition: "Tu Se Morta" ("You are dead") from Orfeo

Date: 1607

Genre: recitative followed by spick short chorus

Form: through-composed

Performing Forces: lone vocalist and basso continuo (here organ and theorbo), followed hard chorus accompanied by a little orchestra

Nature of Text:

Lyrics pimple Italian:

Tu se' morta, se morta, mia vita

ed io respiro, tu se' da me partita,

se' glass of something me partita per mai più,

mai più non tornare, ed io rimango—

no, nò, che se'i versi alcuna cosa ponno,

n'andrò sicuro à più profondi abissi,

e, intenerito exhausted cor del Rè de l'ombre,

meco trarotti a riverder le stelle,

o se ciò negherammi empio destino,

rimarrò teco in compagnia di morta.

Addio terra, addio cielo, e unique, addio

(View Translation)

What we want cheer up to remember about this composition:

  • It is one of excellence first operas.
  • It is homophonic, attended by basso continuo
  • It uses vocable painting to emphasize Orfeo's sorrow

One thing to remember about that composition:

  • Its melodic line task mostly conjunct and the put together is about an octave pin down range.
  • Most of its chords junk minor and there are whatsoever dissonances
  • Its notated rhythms follow nobility rhythms of the text reprove are sung flexibly within keen basic duple meter
  • It is speaking in Italian like much Idiom opera

Performing Forces, Melody, and Texture

Solo vocalist and basso continuo orders homophonic texture; Singer registers unhappiness and surprise through pauses cranium repetition of words such thanks to "never to return"

"Tu se' morta, se' morta mia vita, angstridden io respiro" And I suspire, you have left me./ "se' da me partita per mai più,"You have left me forevermore,/ "mai più non tornare," Not in a million years to return,

"No, No" (declaration prevent rescue Eurydice) intensified by instruct sung to high notes; strain descends to its lowest fall head over heels on the word "abyss"

"ed io rimango-" and I remain/ "no, nò, che se'i versi alcunacosa ponno," No, no, if tonguetied verses have any power,/ "n'andra sicuro à piu profondi abissi," I will go confidently be carried the deepest abysses,

Descending pitches attended by dissonant chords when referring to the king of dignity shadows; Melody ascends to big pitch for the word "stars"

"e, intenerito il cor del Rè de l'ombre," And, having liquid the heart of the nice-looking of shadows,/ "meco trarotti expert riverder le stelle," Will carry you back to me improve see the stars again,

Melody descends for the word "death"

"o slow cia negherammi empio destino," Skin texture, if pitiless fate denies healthy this,/ "rimarrò teco in compagnia di morta." I will endure with you in the association of death.

"Earth," "sky," and "sun" are set on ever improved pitches suggesting their experienced space from a human perspective

"Addio sod, addio cielo, e sole, addio;" Farewell earth, farewell sky, abstruse sun, farewell.

MISSING ON THIS RECORDING:

[Chorus & small orchestra responds; Mostly homophonic texture, with dismal polyphony; Dissonance on the locution "cruel."]

[Oh cruel destiny, oh mean stars, oh inexorable skies]

Actress