Composer

:

Carlo Gesualdo

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Madrigal

Compose Date

:

1611

Average_duration

:

3:52

Carlo Gesualdo, Prince of Venosa, was an Italian composer of the late Renaissance period. He is known for his highly expressive and chromatic music, which was ahead of its time and anticipated many features of Baroque music. One of his most famous works is the madrigal "Moro, lasso, al mio duolo," which was composed around 1595. The madrigal is part of Gesualdo's sixth book of madrigals, published in 1611. It is a five-voice composition, with a text by the poet Torquato Tasso. The text describes the speaker's despair and anguish after being abandoned by his lover. The title can be translated as "I die, alas, for my sorrow." The madrigal is divided into three sections, each with a different mood and character. The first section is slow and mournful, with long, sighing phrases and chromatic harmonies that express the speaker's grief. The second section is more agitated, with faster rhythms and dissonant harmonies that convey the speaker's anger and frustration. The third section returns to the mournful mood of the first, with a final plea for mercy and forgiveness. The music of "Moro, lasso, al mio duolo" is characterized by its intense emotional expression and its use of chromaticism. Gesualdo's music often features unexpected harmonies and sudden shifts in tonality, which create a sense of instability and tension. This style was highly innovative for its time and influenced many later composers, including Bach and Stravinsky. The premiere of "Moro, lasso, al mio duolo" is not known, but it was likely performed in Gesualdo's own chapel or in the courts of the nobility. The madrigal has since become one of Gesualdo's most famous works and is still performed and recorded today. Its haunting beauty and emotional power continue to captivate audiences and inspire musicians.

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