"Tu Se Morta" ("You are dead") from Orfeo
Listening Guide
Georg Nigl as Orfeo
Composer: Claudio Monteverdi
Composition: "Tu Se Morta" ("You are dead") from Orfeo
Date: 1607
Genre: recitative followed by a short chorus
Form: through-composed
Performing Forces: solo vocalist and basso continuo (here organ and theorbo), followed by chorus accompanied by a small orchestra
Nature of Text:
Lyrics in Italian:
Tu se' morta, se morta, mia vita
ed io respiro, tu se' da me partita,
se' da me partita per mai più,
mai più non tornare, ed io rimango—
no, nò, che se'i versi alcuna cosa ponno,
n'andrò sicuro à più profondi abissi,
e, intenerito il cor del Rè de l'ombre,
meco trarotti a riverder le stelle,
o se ciò negherammi empio destino,
rimarrò teco in compagnia di morta.
Addio terra, addio cielo, e sole, addio
What we want you to remember about this composition:
- It is one of the first operas.
- It is homophonic, accompanied by basso continuo
- It uses word painting to emphasize Orfeo's sorrow
One thing to remember about this composition:
- Its melodic line is mostly conjunct and the range is about an octave in range.
- Most of its chords are minor and there are some dissonances
- Its notated rhythms follow the rhythms of the text and are sung flexibly within a basic duple meter
- It is sung in Italian like much Baroque opera
Timing
Performing Forces, Melody, and Texture
Text and Form:
Solo vocalist and basso continuo in homophonic texture; Singer registers sadness and surprise through pauses and repetition of words such as "never to return"
"Tu se' morta, se' morta mia vita, ed io respiro" And I breathe, you have left me./ "se' da me partita per mai più,"You have left me forevermore,/ "mai più non tornare," Never to return,
"No, No" (declaration to rescue Eurydice) intensified by being sung to high notes; melody descends to its lowest pitch on the word "abyss"
"ed io rimango-" and I remain/ "no, nò, che se'i versi alcuna cosa ponno," No, no, if my verses have any power,/ "n'andra sicuro à piu profondi abissi," I will go confidently to the deepest abysses,
Descending pitches accompanied by dissonant chords when referring to the king of the shadows; Melody ascends to high pitch for the word "stars"
"e, intenerito il cor del Rè de l'ombre," And, having melted the heart of the king of shadows,/ "meco trarotti a riverder le stelle," Will bring you back to me to see the stars again,
Melody descends for the word "death"
"o se cia negherammi empio destino," Or, if pitiless fate denies me this,/ "rimarrò teco in compagnia di morta." I will remain with you in the company of death.
"Earth," "sky," and "sun" are set on ever higher pitches suggesting their experienced position from a human perspective
"Addio terra, addio cielo, e sole, addio;" Farewell earth, farewell sky, and sun, farewell.
[2:28]
MISSING ON THIS RECORDING:
[Chorus & small orchestra responds; Mostly homophonic texture, with some polyphony; Dissonance on the word "cruel."]
[Oh cruel destiny, oh despicable stars, oh inexorable skies]