His work marks the transition from Renaissance to Baroque music. During his long life he produced work that can be classified in both categories, and he was one of the most significant revolutionaries that brought about the change in style. Monteverdi wrote the earliest dramatically viable opera, Orfeo, and was fortunate enough to enjoy fame during his lifetime.
Claudio Monteverdi was born in 1567 in Cremona, Lombardy. His father was Baldassare Monteverdi, a doctor, apothecary and amateur surgeon. He was the oldest of five children. During his childhood, he was taught by Marc'Antonio Ingegneri, the maestro di cappella at the Cathedral of Cremona. The Maestro’s job was to conduct important worship services in accordance with the liturgy of the Catholic Church. Monteverdi learned about music by being part of the cathedral choir. He also studied at the University of Cremona. His first music was written for publication, including some motets and sacred madrigals, in 1582 and 1583.
His first five publications were: 'Sacrae cantiunculae', 1582 (a collection of miniature motets); 'Madrigali Spirituali', 1583 (a volume of which only the bass partbook is extant); 'Canzonette a tre voci', 1584 (a collection of three-voice canzonettes); and the five-part madrigals 'Book I', 1587, and 'Book II', 1590. Monteverdi worked for the court of Mantua first as a singer and violist, then as music director. He worked at the court of Vincenzo I of Gonzaga in Mantua as a vocalist and viol player. In 1602, he was working as the court conductor.[
In 1599 Monteverdi married the court singer Claudia Cattaneo, who died in September 1607. They had two sons (Francesco and Massimilino) and a daughter (Leonora). Another daughter died shortly after birth.
By 1613, he had moved to San Marco in Venice where, as conductor, he quickly restored the musical standard of both the choir and the instrumentalists. The musical standard had declined due to the financial mismanagement of his predecessor, Giulio Cesare Martinengo.[ The managers of the basilica were relieved to have such a distinguished musician in charge, as the music had been declining since the death of Giovanni Croce in 1609.
In 1632, he became a priest. During the last years of his life, when he was often ill, he composed his two last masterpieces: 'Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria' (The Return of Ulysses, 1641), and the historic opera 'L'incoronazione di Poppea' ('The Coronation of Poppea', 1642), based on the life of the Roman emperor Nero. 'L'incoronazione' especially is considered a culminating point of Monteverdi's work. It contains tragic, romantic, and comic scenes (a new development in opera), a more realistic portrayal of the characters, and warmer melodies than previously heard. It requires a smaller orchestra, and has a less prominent role for the choir. For a long period of time, Monteverdi's operas were merely regarded as a historical or musical interest. Since the 1960s, The Coronation of Poppea has re-entered the repertoire of major opera companies worldwide.
Monteverdi died in Venice on 29 November 1643 and was buried at the church of the Frari.
Lamento della Ninfa
Claudio Monteverdi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Recato al mondo il dí,
Ch'una donzella fuora
Del proprio albergo uscí.
Sul pallidetto volto
Scorgeasi il suo dolor,
Spesso gli venia sciolto
Un gran sospir dal cor.
Errava hor qua, hor là,
I suoi perduti amori
Cosí piangendo va.
Amor
(Dicea)
Amor
(il ciel mirando,
il piè fermo,)
Amor
Dove, dov'è la fè
Ch'el traditor giurò?
(Miserella)
Fa che ritorni il mio
Amor com'ei pur fu,
O tu m'ancidi, ch'io
Non mi tormenti più.
(Miserella, ah più, no,
Tanto gel soffrir non può.)Non vo' più ch'ei sospiri
se lontan da me,
No, no che i martiri
Più non dirammi affè.
(Ah miserella, ah più, no, no)
Perché di lui mi struggo, Tutt'orgoglioso sta,
Che sí, che sí se'l fuggo
Ancor mi pregherà?
(Miserella, ah più, no,
Tanto gel soffrir non può.)
Se ciglio ha più sereno
Colei, che'l mio non è,
Già non rinchiude in seno
Amor sí bella fè.
(Miserella, ah più, no,
Tanto gel soffrir non può.)
Ne mai sí dolci baci
Da quella bocca havrai,
Ne più soavi, ah taci,
Taci, che troppo il sai.
(Miserella)
Phoebus had not yet brought
The day to the world,
When a maiden so angry
Came out of her house.
On her pale face
Her pain could be read,
And every so often
A heavy sigh came from her
heart.
Stepping on flowers,
She wandered from here to there,
Bewailing her lost love
With these words.Amor
(Dicea)
Amor
(il ciel mirando,
il piè fermo,)
Amor
Dove, dov'è la fè
Ch'el traditor giurò?
(Miserella)
Fa che ritorni il mio
Amor com'ei pur fu,
O tu m'ancidi, ch'io
Non mi tormenti più.
(Miserella, ah più, no,
Tanto gel soffrir non può.)Non vo' più ch'ei sospiri
se lontan da me,
No, no che i martiri
Più non dirammi affè.
(Ah miserella, ah più, no, no)
Perché di lui mi struggo, Tutt'orgoglioso sta,
Che sí, che sí se'l fuggo
Ancor mi pregherà?
(Miserella, ah più, no,
Tanto gel soffrir non può.)
Se ciglio ha più sereno
Colei, che'l mio non è,
Già non rinchiude in seno
Amor sí bella fè.
(Miserella, ah più, no,
Tanto gel soffrir non può.)
Ne mai sí dolci baci
Da quella bocca havrai,
Ne più soavi, ah taci,
Taci, che troppo il sai.
Sí tra sdegnosi pianti
Spargea le voci al ciel;
Cosí ne' cori amanti
Mesce amor fiamma, e gel.
The song Lamento della Ninfa, composed by Claudio Monteverdi, narrates the story of a young woman who has lost her lover and is wandering aimlessly through the fields in agony. She expresses her pain and anguish through a soliloquy where she cries out to Love for a resolution. The opening lines of the song indicate that it is still early in the day, and the young woman is already outside of her house, bereft of hope and love. She weeps and sighs uncontrollably, and as she steps on the flowers, she reminisces about her lost lover.
The woman appeals to Love for help, asking where the faith is that her traitorous lover swore. She begs for her lover to return to her, as he once was, or to kill her, so that she may not suffer anymore. The woman disputes her lover's pride and questions whether he will plead with her to come back if she were to leave him. She laments that her lover's kisses are no longer hers, and her sadness only increases as the other people around her seem happier than she is. The song ends with her cries to heaven as she pours out her pain, which echoes in the hearts of lovers enduring the same fate as she.
Line by Line Meaning
Non havea Febo ancora
The day had not yet arrived.
Recato al mondo il dí,
When the sun brought the day to the world.
Ch'una donzella fuora
A maiden came out of her house.
Del proprio albergo uscí.
And stepped out into the street.
Sul pallidetto volto
Her pale face indicated.
Scorgeasi il suo dolor,
The pain she was feeling was visible.
Spesso gli venia sciolto
Frequently she would release.
Un gran sospir dal cor.
Heavy sighs from her heart.
Sí calpestando fiori
Stepping on flowers.
Errava hor qua, hor là,
Wandering aimlessly.
I suoi perduti amori
Bewailing her lost love.
Cosí piangendo va.
She was crying all the way.
Amor
Love
(Dicea)
She said,
Amor
Love
(il ciel mirando,
Looking up at the sky,
il piè fermo,)
motionless.
Amor
Love
Dove, dov'è la fè
Where, where is the faith
Ch'el traditor giurò?
That the traitor swore?
(Miserella)
She cried,
Fa che ritorni il mio
Make my love return to me,
Amor com'ei pur fu,
As he once was.
O tu m'ancidi, ch'io
Or else kill me,
Non mi tormenti più.
So I don't have to suffer anymore.
(Miserella, ah più, no,
She pleaded,
Tanto gel soffrir non può.)
She couldn't bear the pain anymore.
Non vo' più ch'ei sospiri
I don't want him to sigh anymore,
se lontan da me,
If he's far from me,
No, no che i martiri
No, I don't want the suffering
Più non dirammi affè.
To remind me of my love.
(Ah miserella, ah più, no, no)
She cried out in despair.
Perché di lui mi struggo,
Why do I long for him,
Tutt'orgoglioso sta,
When he's so proud and arrogant,
Che sí, che sí se'l fuggo
And even if I avoid him,
Ancor mi pregherà?
Will he still beg for me?
(Miserella, ah più, no,
She cried out,
Tanto gel soffrir non può.)
She couldn't bear the pain anymore.
Se ciglio ha più sereno
If her eyes are calmer
Colei, che'l mio non è,
Than the one he loves instead of me,
Già non rinchiude in seno
It's because she doesn't hold in her heart
Amor sí bella fè.
The beautiful faith of love.
(Miserella, ah più, no, no.)
She cried out in despair.
Ne mai sí dolci baci
She will never receive sweet kisses
Da quella bocca havrai,
From the mouth that once kissed her,
Ne più soavi, ah taci,
Nor will she hear sweeter words,
Taci, che troppo il sai.
So she keeps silent because she knows it too well.
Sí tra sdegnosi pianti
Amidst her angry tears,
Spargea le voci al ciel;
She raised her voice to the heavens;
Cosí ne' cori amanti
So does love mix flame and ice
Mesce amor fiamma, e gel.
In the hearts of lovers.
Writer(s): ANTHONY ROOLEY, MONTEVERDI (DP)
Contributed by Dominic A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mariuszlis6794
«Amor», dicea, e ’l piè,
mirando il ciel, fermò,
«Dove, dov’è la fe’
che ’l traditor giurò?»
Miserella, ah più no, no,
tanto gel soffrir non può.
«Fa che ritorni il mio
amor com’ei pur fu,
o tu m’ancidi, ch’io
non mi tormenti più.
Non vo’ più ch’ei sospiri
se non lontan da me,
no, no che i martiri
più non darammi affè.
Perché di lui mi struggo,
tutt’orgoglioso sta,
che si, che si se ’l fuggo
ancor mi pregherà?
Se ciglio ha più sereno
colei che ’l mio non è,
già non rinchiude in seno
amor si bella fè.
Né mai sì dolci baci
da quella bocca avrai,
nè più soavi, ah taci,
taci, che troppo il sai.
@graysonwaddell1265
Here from the new Castlevania trailer, what an incredible piece of music. Thanks for sharing it!!
@JeffreyStivers
You’re welcome. It’s certainly one of most famous pieces of western music. I’m happy to hear that it’s included in that trailer.
@jeanninejohnson8633
Where can I purchase this I’m in love
@JeffreyStivers
@@jeanninejohnson8633 The link is included in the video description, but here it is for convenience. https://www.amazon.com/Teatro-DAmore-Christina-Pluhar/dp/B001KYJA6K/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1373315902&sr=8-3&keywords=l%27arpeggiata
@jeanninejohnson8633
@@JeffreyStivers thank you so much
@JeffreyStivers
@@jeanninejohnson8633 You’re welcome.
@mariusciobanu21
It's amazing how in our age a musical artwork like this will finally be known by many other people thanks to the association with the new Castlevania Nocturne trailer.
I personally knew it for years and it has always been my favorite classic song, but I am really very happy that now I will be able to share this pleasure with many other new people around the world.
@beacarrilloc
My fav madrigal
@Gunlord
HYDRO STORM
Seriously though I like classical/baroque music but I hadnt heard of this piece before I saw the Netflixvania trailer, so I'm definitely happy lol.
@lockekappa500
Thank you for letting us know you were a fan "before it was cool" XD