Composer

:

Giaches de Wert

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Part Song

Compose Date

:

1586

Average_duration

:

1:28

"Forsennata gridava" is a madrigal composed by Giaches de Wert, an influential composer of the late Renaissance period. The piece was composed in the late 16th century and was first performed in Mantua, Italy. It is part of a collection of madrigals known as "Il Settimo Libro di Madrigali" or "The Seventh Book of Madrigals." The piece is written for five voices and is divided into two sections. The first section is slow and mournful, with the voices singing in a homophonic texture. The second section is faster and more intense, with the voices singing in a polyphonic texture. The text of the madrigal is in Italian and tells the story of a woman who is driven mad by her unrequited love for a man. The first section of the madrigal begins with the soprano voice singing the opening phrase "Forsennata gridava" or "Madly she cried out." The other voices enter one by one, each singing a different line of the text. The music is characterized by its use of dissonance and chromaticism, which create a sense of tension and unease. The second section of the madrigal begins with the tenor voice singing a fast and rhythmic line. The other voices enter one by one, each singing a different line of the text. The music is characterized by its use of imitative polyphony, in which the voices echo and imitate each other's melodies. The music builds to a climax before resolving into a final cadence. Overall, "Forsennata gridava" is a powerful and emotional piece of music that showcases Giaches de Wert's skill as a composer. Its use of dissonance, chromaticism, and polyphony create a sense of drama and intensity that is characteristic of the late Renaissance period.

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