Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) composed this madrigal in 1605. It appears in the fifth of his eight books of madrigals and is one of his most famous. Cruda Amarilli are the first words in a soliloquy from the play Il pastor fido, which was published in Venice in 1589 by the dramatic poet Battista Guarini (1538-1612).
| Edition Number | E1453F |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | 12/21/1995 |
| Media Type | Music Books |
| Level/Grade | 4 |
Description
The soliloquy translates as follows:
Cruel Amaryllis, who with your name
to love, alas, bitterly you teach.
Amaryllis, more than the white privet
pure, and more beautiful,
but deafer than the deaf asp,
and fiercer and more elusive.
since telling i offended you,
I shall die in silence.
Barry Toombs' elegant brass quintet arrangement of Moteverdi's madrigal setting of Cruda Amarilli successfully imitates the fluid quality of the human voice.