The best recordings of Claudio Monteverdi‘s madrigals are those directed by Nadia Boulanger, whose studios in Paris were referred to infomally as “La Boulangerie.” Here it is possible to listen to a minute of “Zefiro Torna,” which I am playing now.
Zefiro torna e di soavi accenti
L’aer fa grato e’l pie discoglie a l’onde
E mormorando tra le verdi fronde
Fa danzar al bel suon sul prato i fiori,
Inghirlandato il crin Fillide e Clori,
Notte temprando amor care e gioconde,
E da monti e da valli ime e profonde
Raddopian l’armonia gli antri canori.
Sorge più vaga in ciel l’aurora, e’l sole
Sparge più luci d’or, più puro argento
Fregia di Teti il bel ceruleo manto.
So io per selve abbandonate e sole
L’ardor di due begli occhi e’l mio tormento
Come vuol mia ventura hor piango, hor canto.
Return O Zephyr, and with gentle motion
Make pleasant the air and scatter the grasses in waves
And murmuring among the green branches
Make the flowers in the field dance to your sweet sound;
Crown with a garland the heads of Phylla and Chloris
With notes tempered by love and joy,
From mountains and valleys high and deep
And sonorous caves that echo in harmony.
The dawn rises eagerly into the heavens and the sun
Scatters rays of gold, and of the purest silver,
Like embroidery on the cerulean mantle of Thetis.
But I, in abandoned forests, am alone.
The ardour of two beautiful eyes is my torment;
As my fate wills, now I weep, now I sing.
This is a song about breezes, and as Boulanger directs, it lilts like the wind. It is arranged as a sort of fugue, so that the words repeat: Zefiro, zefiro, zefiro torna. Fa danzar al bel suon, fa danzar al bel suon sul prato i fiori. Inghirlandato il crin, inghirlandato il crin Fillide e Clori. I like the sound of these words. Raddopian l’armonia: they echo in harmony.
Axé.
coldhearted scientist وداد 
thanks for sharing that…it was very nice…
Era absolutamente hermoso.
How do you think this version compares?
I like it, thanks for sending. I’m addicted to the voice of Hughes Cuenod on that song; that’s part of why I like those Boulanger recordings… but so many recordings of this pace it too slow, and are so very serious; this I think gets more to what the song is like.
I think Flora is pregnant in that painting, I hadn’t realized that before… I like Botticelli too, I really have this huge fantasy about visiting 17th century Italy; it is possible that it was a terrible reality and all, but I really like the music and art. 🙂
If you ever get the chance to visit, you’ll love Italy. I was last there in December (Rome) and before that a few years ago up North – Siena, Florence, Venice, Ravenna. Gorgeous towns and still with a feel of the Renaissance about them because of the buildings. The Piazza del Campo in Siena, especially, was wonderful.
I’ve only just happened across this song – I hardly know Monteverdi at all. If you have any recommendations, I’d be grateful.
I haven’t been to Italy since the 1970s, it is a shame, but I did visit extensively in those days, it’s the most beautiful country ever! My time travel fantasy, though, is to get there in the 17th century and actually see some of those things being built.
Monteverdi, I’m less of an expert than I seem, I just used to have a couple of records in the days of vinyl.
But all the madrigals and of course, Il Ballo delle Ingrate. One madrigal I particularly like is “Ecco mormorar l’onde” (“Listen to the waves murmur, and the leaves tremble…”).
I think by far the finest recording of Zefiro is Russell Oberlin, Alfred Deller and the Deller Consort. The Deller, Bressler, Boulanger is the closest but tempos too brisk and overall too heavy. I have been unable to locate a copy. Any leads?