LUZZASCO LUZZASCHI: Ch'io non t'ami cor mio (Transposed) PDF SCORE

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Transposed down a fourth:
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Original key:
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Composed by Luzzasco Luzzaschi (1538-1612). From Madrigali per sonare et cantare, 1601.

Silvia Frigato, soprano
Silvia Rambaldi, harpsichord

The 1601 Madrigali show that Luzzaschi did compose solo songs with Roman-Neapolitan characteristics, though it is impossible to know precisely when he composed them. Its third solo madrigal, "Ch'io non t'ami, cor mio," exhibits all the requisite features: irregular phrase lengths, flexible rhythms, narrow-range declamation, simple melodic cells that rise and fall in fourths and fifths, a bass line that is not independent of the melody, and opportunities for virtuosic ornamentation.

"Ch'io non t'ami" also includes compositional interventions highly valued in Ferrarese circles, making it an example of a song that "acquired greater perfection through this more skillful composition." The opening sonorities, while all in root position, are chromatically inflected, disorienting the listener and delaying confirmation of the tonal focus. In the following section, the melody plunges down an octave, momentarily breaking its narrow range at the words "E per nova speranza i t'abbandoni" (and abandon you for a new hope), offering a melodic representation of vocal affect. Luzzaschi also introduces rhythmic instability, exerting a composer’s control over declamation.

This solo madrigal illustrates how the Roman-Neapolitan courtly style was adapted for Ferrarese audiences, creating a new style that allowed both composer and performer to enhance the work’s emotional impact.

Reference:
Stras, L. (2018). Women and Music in Sixteenth-Century Ferrara. India: Cambridge University Press.