Torelli Gaspare I fidi amanti Favola pastorale del Signor Ascanio Ordei Milanese con varij et piacevoli intermedij for 4 mixed voices choir Transcription and interpretation by Bonaventura Somma Revision by Lino Bianchi Revision of the poetic text by Emidio Mucci Introduction and notes in Italian and English Collana "Capolavori Polifonici del Secolo XVI" De Santis Editions DS 1033 - 75 pag. - price 20.00 Euro - [See a page]

Notes

Gasparri Torelli's pastoral fable "I Fidi Amanti" ("The Faithful Lovers") is published here in its first modern edition, using Bonaventura Somma's posthumous transcription and interpretation. I undertook the revision of the whole work, taking as my guide the original edition printed in the year 1600 by the Venetian Giacomo Vincenti, a copy of which is in Bologna Philharmonic Academy Library.My notes at the end of the volume show the places where I have made amendments to the text. The original versions can thus always be reconstructed in every detail. The indications in square brackets, giving the names of the characters as they take part in the musical comedy, now appear in the text for thefirst time. This has been done so that performers will be able to appreciate the different voice — colourings required for each character and give them due prominence — for the singers of those days were undoubtedly most skilled in this matter. Guasparri Torelli's compositions reveal delicate, personal expressiveness; he was alert and sensitive to what was being made available in the music of his day by the Gesualdos and Monteverdis,introducing it with moderation into the freedom of his own idiom.In this way, he achieved passages whose harmonic stability has touches of vagueness and suspension, making him both original and capable of outstanding expressive moments, especially in the First Scene of the Second Act, in the lament of Clori with Echo.His place is therefore no second-rank one, but is rightfully alongside the really major fathers of harmonic comedy. He easily fits into the history of such comedy, hut as a chapter with a definite, appealing interest of its own. The present composition also provides notable formal interest, even when compared with the other major harmonic comedies of its kind, as regards the history of the madrigal.The madrigal had in fact already been given a place in larger scale, unitarian madrigal collections in the 16th century, leading up to the quite definitely indivisible poem "II Priego alla Beata Vergine" by Palestrina. However, instead of the madrigal unit of a stanza being used as it was hy Palestrina, we find that Torelli's madrigal unit lakes shape and isobviously in the nature of madrigal-scene: twelve madrigals make up the twelve scenes in the three acts of the fable. Tho these are added the three expressive madrigals named prologue, first interlude and second interlude. Lino Bianchi

Synopsis

Silvano, a noble shepherd of Arcadia, had a pretty, charming and only daughter named Amarilli, with whom Aminta, the son of Selvaggio, was wildly in love; and the damsel was just as much in love with him. However, their ardour was still closed and hidden within their hearts when Tirinto, the son (as he believed) of Elpino, also fell in love with her and, overcoming every restraint, persuaded hisreputed father to ask Silvano for his daughter's hand in marriage. Silvano solemnly promised her in marriage to Elpino.Meanwhile the beloved Amarilli and her lover Aminta had vowed they would rather die than ever agree to any other marriage.Thus when she first heard of the whole affair from her father, showing her aversion to the new wedding and new bridegroom, she related everything to Aminta.As she was grieving, he went away into a dense, solitary valley and, overcome by sorrow, dropped down among the tall grass, bleeding and nigh to death.It had meanwhile been discovered that Tirinto was in fact Silvano's son; as he could not therefore be Amarilli's husband, it was decided to give her Aminta as husband instead.But then Tirsi arrives and tells of Aminta's death (for he believed him to he dead), thus upsetting every joy. However, while Selvaggio, the unhappy father, is complaining and mourning, Damone makes it clear that his son is alive and has been called hack from death to life by thekisses and tears of Amarilli.And since Tirinto had a little earlier been moved to pity by Clon, Jnd was almost in love with her; and since Amarilli had already become the wife of Aminta, he also marries Clori.Whence the " Faithful Lovers " go more happily than they would ever have thought from the tomb to the altar.