This short madrigal by Claudio Monteverdi consists of a soprano singer alternating with a chorus of 5 homophonic male voice parts plus basso continuo accompaniment. It compares a gallant lover to a nightingale seeking his beloved. The cavalier gentleman expresses envy for nightingale's simplicity and innocence in matters of love.
The original MIDI file was downloaded from CPDL.org and its author is Gerd Eichler. I added the Italian lyrics using the Yamaha Vocaloid 4 voice encoder with MAIKA voice bank for all 5 parts. I also added the accompaniment of a chitarrone and bass viol in the obligatory 6th part using the iPhone app Music Studio 2. In this latest rendition, I sped up the tempo a bit, created a more legato effect, added a little dynamic variation in the soprano. I lowered the pitch to A=415 in order to tone down the shrillness of my previous recording on the high A (A5). I also corrected some of the vowels sounds for a more rounded Italian pronunciation.
Text:
Dolcissimo uscignolo, (Sweetest nightingale)
tu chiami la tua cara compagnia (you call to your dear companion)
cantando: «Vieni, vieni, anima mia». (singing "come, come my soulmate")
A me canto non vale, (To me a song is no value)
e non ho come tu da volar ale. (and I have not wings like you to fly)
O felice augelletto, (O happy little bird)
come nel tuo diletto (how for your pleasure)
ti ricompensa ben l'alma natura: (kind nature compensates you well)
se ti negò saper, ti diè ventura. (-- though you know not -- with good fortune)
Description of photos:
1. Nightingale among roses, detail from a mural in Pompeii, 1st century
2. Singers, Adam de Coster, c1620
3. A gallant riding a goat while holding a nightingale (perhaps to send a message to his lover), Anon. French, Pierpoint Morgan Libr. MS M1001 c1475
4. Musician at the balcony, Gerrit van Honthorst, 1622
5. Concert, Gerrit van Honthorst, 1623
