Audio

The painting ‘Untitled 1’ by Joel Spears appears here courtesy of the artist.

Pensieri notturni di Filli, HWV134 by George Frideric Handel was composed between 1706 and 1708 during several of his visits to the Italian peninsula, where he composed over 100 secular cantatas for the entertainments of Benedetto Pamphili, Pietro Ottoboni, and especially the Marquis Francesco Maria Ruspoli. Based on an anonymous text, Pensieri notturni di Filli is Handel’s only surviving chamber cantata for voice, recorder and continuo.

Recitativo:
Nel dolce dell’oblio, benchè riposi,
la mia Filli adorata
veglia coi pensier suoi.
E in quella quiete Amor non cessa mai,
con varie forme,
la sua pace turbar mentre elle dorme.

In her sweet sleep, although resting,
My adored Phillis
Awakens through her thoughts
And in this quietness
Love never stops in various ways
to trouble her sleeping peace.

Aria:
Giacchè il sonno a lei dipinge
la sembianza del suo bene,
nella quiete nè pur finge
d’abbracciar le sue catene
Giacchè, etc.

From the moment sleep seems
to paint on her face the figure of her bien-aimée,
during this quietness, sleep seems also
to embrace its chains.
From the moment, etc.

Recitativo:
Così fida ella vive al cuor che adora,
e nell’ombra respira
la luce di quel sol per cui sospira.

In this way, she’s loyal toward the heart she adores,
and she breathes like a shadow of the light
for which she only sighs.

Aria:
Ha l’inganno il suo diletto
se i pensier mossi d’affetto,
stiman ver ciò che non sanno.
Ma se poi si risveglia a un tale errore
il pensier ridica a noi:
ha l’inganno il suo dolore.
Ha l’inganno, etc.

If thoughts, moved by love,
Deem as true what they do not know,
This sort of deceit has its charm.
But if the mind awakens from such an error
May it speak the truth to us all:
“This deceit has its charm!”
If thoughts, etc.

The painting ‘The Songbird” by Josefien Stoppelenburg appears here courtesy of the artist and is available for purchase at josefienstoppelenburg-art.com.

Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BuxWV98 by Dietrich Buxtehude was composed for performance in the Lübeck Marienkirche, where Buxtehude was organist from 1668 until his death in 1707. While leaving behind over 120 vocal works with many varied scorings, styles and lengths, Buxtehude’s Singet dem Herrn is based on the text for Psalm 98 verses 1-4 – unique in Buxtehude’s œuvre as it is his only concertato vocal work employing a single solo instrument.

Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, denn er tut Wunder. Er sieget mit seiner Rechten und mit seinem heiligen Arm.
Der Herr lässet sein Heil verkündigen, für den Völkern lässt er seine Gerechtigkeit offenbaren.
Er gedenket an seine Gnade und Wahrheit dem Hause Israel. Aller Welt Enden sehen das Heil unsers Gottes.
Jauchzet dem Herren, alle Welt; singet, rühmet und lobet!

O sing unto the Lord a new song: for he hath done marvellous things.
With his own right hand, and with his holy arm: hath he gotten himself the victory.
The Lord declared his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.
He hath remembered his mercy and truth toward the house of Israel: and all the ends of the world have seen the salvation of our God.