Michel Lambert: Ombre de mon amant (c.1660)

Описание: Lambert was a prominent member of the musical hierarchy at the court of Louis XIV but was overshadowed by his more flamboyant and grandiose son-in-law, Jean-Baptiste Lully. This short air de cours was likely an earlier work written for voice and basso continuo. It starts with an instrumental ritornello in the manner of Italian opera from the generation of Claudio Monteverdi and Michelangelo Rossi. As with earlier airs, the monody is simple and probably gave latitude to the performer to improvise ornaments and flourishes.

The original MIDI file was compiled by Théau Lizon and uploaded to Musescore.com. I used the Natalie voice bank in Synthesizer V. Instrumental simulations were created using Music Studio 2.0. This instrument "ensemble" includes two violins, cello, double bass, theorbo and harpsichord.

Text (and translation):

Ombre de mon amant, (Shadow of my lover,)
ombre toujours plaintive, (ever plaintive shadow,)
Hélas! que voulez-vous! je meurs. (Alas! What do you want? I die.)
Soyez un moment attentive (Be attentive for a moment)
Au funeste récit de mes vives douleurs. (To the grim tale of my sorrows.)
C'est sur cette fatale rive (It was on this fatal shore)
Que j'ay veu vostre sang couler avec mes pleurs.
(That I saw your blood flow with my tears.)
Rien ne peut arrester mon ame fugitive (Nothing can restrain my fleeing soul)
Je cède à mes cruels malheurs. (I yield to my cruel misfortunes.)

Ombre de mon amant,... etc.

Description of the photos:

1. Woman with gamba, Gabriel Metsu, 1663
2. Ombre de mon amant, manuscript version, Michel Lambert, before 1689
3. Harpsichord player, Frans van Mieris, 1658
4. Cover page of the royally sanctioned printed version of the Airs de cour of Michel Lambert, ed. Christophe Ballard (Paris), 1689
5. Italian singer with theorbo, Anon. French, c1670
6. Portrait of Marin Marais, court gambist at Versailles
7. Divine Inspiration, Nicholas Regnier, c1640