HQ: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsWEU2GV-TY&fmt=18

Zefiro torna e 'l bel tempo rimena, SV 108

Madrigal for five voices (SSATB)

Text: Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374)

Music: Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)

Published in 'Il sesto libro de madrigali' (Venice, 1614)
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Les Arts Florissants,
conducted by Paul Agnew

Miriam Allan, soprano
Maud Gnidzaz, soprano
Anne Maugard, mezzo-soprano
Paul Agnew, tenor
Lisandro Abadie, bass

Nanja Breedijk, harp
Massimo Moscardo, theorbo
Jonathan Rubin, theorbo

Salle des concerts, Cité de la musique, Paris
7 November 2009
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This is the encore from a concert where Les Arts Florissants performed the whole sixth book of madrigals by Monteverdi.

You can find the rest of the concert on my FullMonteverdi channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/FullMonteverdi

Eser.
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Original text:

Zefiro torna e 'l bel tempo rimena,
e i fiori, e l'erbe, sua dolce famiglia;
e garrir Progne; e pianger Filomena,
e primavera candida, e vermiglia.

Ridono i prati, e 'l ciel si rasserena;
Giove s'allegra di mirar sua figlia:
l'aria, e l'acqua, e la terra è d'amor piena;
ogni animal d'amar si riconsiglia.

Ma per me, lasso, tornano i più gravi
sospiri che del cor profondo tragge
quella ch'al ciel se ne portò le chiavi:

e cantar augelletti, e fiorir piagge,
e 'n belle donne oneste atti soavi
sono un deserto, e fere aspre, e selvagge.
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Translation:

Zephyr returns, and returns good weather to us,
the flowers and the grass, his sweet family,
and Procne whistles and Philomela weeps,
and Spring bursts in white and red.

The meadows smile, the sky becomes serene,
Jupiter is happy to look at his daughter,
the air and water and earth overflow with love,
all animals agree to love each other again.

But alas, for me the deepest sighs
return, wrenched from the depths of my heart
by the one who left with its keys;

and the birds' song , and the flowery fields,
and the sweet movements of beautiful and noble women
are but a desert to me, and fierce and wild beasts. (less info)