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Death as a metaphor for... scores

It has a French name, La petite mort, but it is nearly ubiquitous in Italian secular poetry of the 15-17th centuries, especially when nymphs and shepherds interact. Of course, not every madrigal that references death or dying is actually a sexual metaphor: Gibbon's "The Silver Swan" certainly isn't, for instance, while Arcadelt's "Dolce e bianco cigno" clearly is, an oddity when you consider how often they're paired in modern concerts. And many Italian texts use death as a metaphor for loss or as a literal fact. Here I am highlighting the more obvious examples. [This list is far from complete: I added this Jan 2023, and it will take me a while to go through every madrigal referencing death]

Hawthorne Early Music editions: morte scores
ComposerTitleSubtitle# PartsLanguageModeFiles
Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643) Ahi bella sì, ma cruda mia nemica 5 italian Hypodorian Score + Parts
Peter Philips (c.1560-1628) Baciai per aver vita 6 italian Dorian Score + Parts
Cipriano de Rore (c.1515-1565) Se 'l mio sempre per voi File created less than 30 days ago 4 italian Dorian Score + Parts
Cipriano de Rore (c.1515-1565) Anchor che col partire 4 italian Phrygian Score + Parts
Cipriano de Rore (c.1515-1565) Non è lasso martire 5 italian Phrygian Score + Parts
Cipriano de Rore (c.1516-1565) Lieta vivo e contenta 6 italian Dorian Score + Parts
Adrian Willaert (c.1490-1562) Se'l veder voi m'ancide 3 italian Phrygian Score + Parts
Andrea Gabrieli (c.1532-1585) Caro dolce ben mio 5 italian Hypodorian Score + Parts
Andrea Gabrieli (c.1532-1585) Rimanti amor in sempiterno oblio 5 italian Dorian Score + Parts
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c.1525-1594) Soave sia il morir per viver sempre 5 italian Ionian Score + Parts
Cipriano de Rore (c.1515-1565) Il desiderio e la speranza Amore 4 italian Ionian Score + Parts
Giovanni Battista Mosto (c.1550-1596) Il bianco e dolce cigno 5 italian Ionian Score + Parts
Ruggiero Giovannelli (c.1560-1625) Occhi miei che miraste 5 italian Dorian Score + Parts
Ruggiero Giovannelli (c.1560-1625) S'io non miro non moro 5 italian Dorian Score + Parts
Giaches de Wert (1535-1596) Non fu donna giammai gentil e bella 5 italian Ionian Score + Parts
Giaches de Wert (1535-1596) Tirsi morir volea 7 italian Dorian Score + Parts
Giaches de Wert (1535-1596) Misera, che faro poi ch'io mi moro 5 italian Dorian Score + Parts
Giaches de Wert (1535-1596) Voi volete ch’io muoia 5 italian Dorian Score + Parts
Giaches de Wert (1535-1596) Di morte già sentia 5 italian Dorian Score + Parts
Giaches de Wert (1535-1596) Udite, lagrimosi Spirti d'Averno 5 italian Phrygian Score + Parts
Giaches de Wert (1535-1596) Voi nemico crudele 5 italian Phrygian Score + Parts
Giaches de Wert (1535-1596) Io non son però morto 5 italian Dorian Score + Parts
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562-1621) Liquide perle 2 italian Mixolydian Score + Parts
Adriano Willaert (c.1490-1562) Amor mi fa morire 4 italian Hypodorian Score + Parts
Orazio Vecchi (1550-1605) Il bianco e dolce cigno 5 italian Ionian Score + Parts
Orazio Vecchi (1550-1605) Tremolavan le frondi File created less than 30 days ago 5 italian Hypodorian Score + Parts
Giuseppe Caimo (c.1545-1584) Thirsi morir volea Prima parte 5 italian Dorian Score + Parts
Luca Marenzio (c.1553-1599) Per la dolce cagion Seconda parte 5 italian Phrygian Score + Parts
Luca Marenzio (c.1553-1599) La rete fu di queste fila d'oro Prima parte 5 italian Hypodorian Score + Parts
Luca Marenzio (c.1553-1599) Anima cruda sì 5 italian Ionian Score + Parts
Luca Marenzio (c.1553-1599) Voi bramate ch'io moia 5 italian Dorian Score + Parts
Luca Marenzio (c.1553-1599) Udite, lagrimosi Spirti d'Averno 5 italian Phrygian Score + Parts
Luca Marenzio (c.1553-1599) Ah, dolente partita 5 italian Hypodorian Score + Parts
Luca Marenzio (c.1553-1599) Liquide perle, Amor, dagli occhi sparse 5 italian Mixolydian Score + Parts
Luca Marenzio (c.1553-1599) Tirsi morir volea 5 italian Phrygian Score + Parts
Luca Marenzio (c.1553-1599) Veggo dolce mio bene 4 italian Hypodorian Score + Parts
Luca Marenzio (c.1553-1599) Nel dolce seno della bella Clori 6 italian Hypodorian Score + Parts
Philippe de Monte (1521-1603) Udite, lagrimosi Spirti d'Averno 7 italian Phrygian Score + Parts
Philippe de Monte (1521-1603) Baciai per aver vita 5 italian Hypodorian Score + Parts
Benedetto Pallavicino (c.1551-1601) Tirsi morir volea Prima parte 6 italian Dorian Score + Parts
Jacques Arcadelt (c.1507-1568) Ancidetemi pur grievi martiri 4 italian Hypodorian Score + Parts
Jacques Arcadelt (c.1507-1568) Il bianco e dolce cigno 4 italian Ionian Score + Parts
Andrea Gabrieli (c.1532-1585) Vita della vita mia 5 italian Hypodorian Score + Parts
Andrea Gabrieli (c.1532-1585) Se vuoi ch'io muoia 6 italian Dorian Score + Parts
Andrea Gabrieli (c.1532-1585) Donna cinta di ferro 6 italian Hypodorian Score + Parts
Andrea Gabrieli (c.1532-1585) Come vuoi tu ch'io viva 6 italian Dorian Score + Parts
Andrea Gabrieli (c.1532-1585) Tirsi morir volea 7 italian Hypodorian Score + Parts
Andrea Gabrieli (c.1532-1585) Donna per acquetar vostro desire 5 italian Hypodorian Score + Parts
Andrea Gabrieli (c.1532-1585) Quando dal Mare uscita Seconda parte 6 italian Mixolydian Score + Parts
Andrea Gabrieli (c.1532-1585) Donna, la vostra ingiusta crudeltade 6 italian Phrygian Score + Parts
Andrea Gabrieli (c.1532-1585) Da le Cimerie grotte Prima parte 6 italian Ionian Score + Parts
Andrea Gabrieli (c.1532-1585) Sì potess' io morire Quinta e ultima parte 6 italian Ionian Score + Parts
Andrea Gabrieli (c.1532-1585) O caso novo e strano Quarta parte 6 italian Mixolydian Score + Parts
Andrea Gabrieli (c.1532-1585) Giravan quelle foglie Terza parte 6 italian Ionian Score + Parts
Vincenzo Ruffo (c.1508-1587) Vita della mia vita 4 italian Hypodorian Score + Parts
Leonard Meldert (c.1535-1610) Tirsi morir volea 5 italian Dorian Score + Parts
Marc'Antonio Ingegneri (c.1535-1592) Veggio dolce ben mio 4 italian Ionian Score + Parts
Vincenzo dal Pozzo (fl.1585-1612) Tirsi morir volea 5 italian Hypodorian Score + Parts
Vincenzo dal Pozzo (fl.1585-1612) Baci soavi e cari 5 italian Dorian Score + Parts
Salamone Rossi (1570-c.1630) Udite, lagrimosi Spirti d'Averno 5 italian Dorian Score + Parts
Giovanni Piccioni (1549-1619) Udite, lagrimosi Spirti d'Averno 5 italian Hypodorian Score + Parts
Ascanio Trombetti (1544-1590) Donna se voi m'odiate 4 italian Hypodorian Score + Parts