O che felice giorno (Giovanni Gabrieli)

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(Posted 2021-07-17) CPDL #65161:

Editor: Gerhard Weydt (submitted 2021-07-17). Score information: A4, 8 pages, 172 kB Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes: In many parts the work appears to be written for double choir, but as there is no indication of that in the sources, the edition presents the work without such a separation.

General Information

Title: O che felice giorno
Composer: Giovanni Gabrieli
Lyricist:
Number of voices: 8vv Voicing: SSAATTBB
Genre: Secular, Madrigal

Language: Italian
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1590 in Dialoghi musicali (Angelo Gardano), no. 26
2nd published: 1596 in Madrigali a otto voci (Pierre Phalèse), no. 2
3rd published: 1597 in Fiori del Giardino, no. 51
Description: Francesco Rasi's "O che felice giorno" uses a nearly identical opening phrase, albeit with a text continuing differently.

External websites:

Original text and translations

Italian text

O che felice giorno
Grato à noi fa ritorno.
Celebriamolo tutti
in feste e in canto.
Ne Pastor sia fra queste selv’intanto,
Che di gioia e d’Amor
Non vesti l‘alm’e’l core.
E di mille sampogne odassi intorno
Lieti sonar ogn’antro, ogni soggiorno.

German translation

Oh welch glücklicher Tag
kehrt freundlich zu uns zurück.
Feiern wir ihn alle
mit Festen und Gesängen.
Kein Hirte sei in all diesen Wäldern,
der nicht mit Freude und Liebe
Seele und Herz erfülle.
Und aus tausend Sackpfeifen höre man ringsum
fröhlich ertönen jede Höhle, jede Behausung.

Translation by Gerhard Weydt

English translation

O succh a happy day
gratefully comes back to us.
Let us all celebrate it
with feasting and singing.
Be there no shepherd in all these woods,
that would not with joy and love
fill his soul and heart.
And from a thousand bagpipes around shall be heard
resounding merrily each cavern, each dwelling.