Tirsi morir volea
General information
One of Guarini's poems (Madrigali 151), the erotic Tirsi morir volea, recounting the amorous encounter of a shepherd and a nymph, was set to music as a madrigal more often than any other pastoral poem of the era. The ensembles singing the madrigals of that time consisted of noble men and women or educated burghers. In particular in the Ferrarese and Mantuan courts Guarini's poem was immediately set to music, which created a hype that not many composers could resist. The other famous poet at the Ferrarese court Torquato Tasso could not resist making his own version of this very popular theme (Rime per Lucretia Bendidio 378), which was set to music by a.o Luca Marenzio: Nel dolce seno.
Settings by composers
- Gioseppe Caimo SSATB
- Giovanni Croce SSATTB
- D'Incerto SSTTTB
- Andrea Gabrieli SATTTTB
- Carlo Gesualdo SATTB
- Luca Marenzio SATTB
- Leonard Meldert SATTB
- Philippe de Monte SATTB
- Benedetto Pallavicino SSATTB
- Giovanni Piccioni SSATB
- Ascanio Trombetti SATB
- Willem Verkaik SSATB
- Giaches de Wert SSAATTB
- Camillo Zanotti SSATB
Text and translations
The text is very similarly used by all composers, the two main variations are shown using brackets, the first is the one coinciding with Guarini's publication. Interestingly all deviate from Guarini in line 17 and 18, where he has: "Ed io; rispose subito il pastore,/ E teco nel morir mi discoloro."
Italian text Tirsi morir volea, |
English translation Thyrsis desired death, |
Dutch translation Thyrsus verlangde te sterven, |