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 | E1453 |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | 06/01/1996 |
| Media Type | Music Books |
| Repertoire | Ensembles |
| 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.