Monteverdi - Ohime se tanto amate

Context

• The piece is a Madrigal
• A poem for voices
• The Poem is written by Guarini
• Unaccompanied
• Written in Venice 1603
• The music is word-painted
• Representational Style
• 'Ohime' can mean a sigh of frustration or passion

Style

• Typical of a Madrigal....
  - Every nuance of the text is expressed
  - The piece is in Gminor and the Bb is given for the time signature at the start and Eb are added when needed through out the piece
• Typical Baroque...
  - Modulations to related keys

• Untypical of Baroque
  - Canto sings tritone at Bar 12

Instrumentation

• 5 solo parts
• Canto - First Soprano
• Quinto - Second Soprano
• Alto
• Tenor
• Bass
• Each part is technically demanding and would not have been written for amateurs

Structure

• The piece is through-composed
• There are three main sections
  - Bars 1-19 - gradual build up of texture
  - Bars 20-38 - different music with varied repeat
  - Bars 39-67 - 5 part harmony for the most part

(NOTE: Through-composed = Each phrase of the poem had new music)

Texture

• Dialogue between parts
• Polyphonic Bars 24 - 28
• Homophonic Bars 20 - 25
• Antiphonal Bars 47 +

Melody

• Conjunct movement
• "Ohime" in falling thirds
• Small leaps
• Syllabic
• Chromatic writing
• Unprepared dissonances illustrate words

Harmony

• Root position chords & 1st inversion triads at cadence points
• Final cadence is a variation of perfect IIIb - I
• False relations
• Tierce de Picardi
• Suspensions
• Pedal notes
• Modal chord progressions VII - III