Io son ferito ahi lasso - diminutions by Bovicelli (1594), orig. Palestrina

Madrid  • 

These mesmerising diminutions by Bovicelli, an ornamented version of the intimate secular motet by Palestrina, are a fantastic example of the change in style we see around 1600: dotted rhythms and expressive figures rather than continuous passaggi. From our live concert in the beautiful historical cathedral of Palencia on August 17, 2021: Tenor ganassi recorder - Lobke Sprenkeling Organ - Jorge López-Escribano Source: Bovicelli Regole, "passaggi di musica", 1594 Original: Palestrina, 1561 Knowing the text of Palestrina's secular motet, which probably in Bovicelli's days was well known, gives us another insight into the intimate and melancholic nature of this piece: "Io son ferito, ahi lasso! e chi mi diede accusar pur vorrei, ma non ho prova; e senz' idizio al mal non si da fede: ne getta sangue la mia piaga nuova. Io spasm' e moro; il colpo non si vede. La mia nemica armata si ritrova. Che fia tornar a lei crudel partito, che sol m'abbia a sanar chi m'ha ferito." Translation: "I am wounded, alas, and she who did it to me I would fain accuse, but I have no proof; yet without evidence no one will put faith in my woe, nor does my fresh wound pour out blood. I suffer and die; the wound is invisible, my foe is found to be armed. How cruel a task will it be to return to her, for only she is able to heal me that has wounded me."