Se l'aura spira

0:06 Instrumental (soprano recorder, chitarrone, bass viol)
1:37 Original aria (soprano, chitarrone, bass viol)

This short aria by Frescobaldi is one of many frolicking secular songs with a pastoral theme popular throughout Italy in the late Italian Renaissance and early Baroque eras. Similar themes can be found in the works of Monteverdi and other northern Italian masters. Frescobaldi likely composed and published this work, along with many other short arias, during his tenure as church organist in Florence. One can hear with each iteration of the theme, there is increasingly more ornamentations as was customary for monody from that period.

The vocal simulation was created using the MAIKA Vocaloid. I extrapolated the chords for the chitarrone using the obbligato bass line and the melody line. The instrumental simulations were generated using the iPhone app Music Studio 2.

Text and translation:

Se l'aura spira tutta vezzosa, (If the most titillating breeze blows)
la fresca rosa ridente sta, (the fresh rose is laughing)
la siepe ombrosa di bei smeraldi (and the shadowy hedge of emerald)
d'estivi caldi timor non ha. (has no fear of the hot summer)
A balli, a balli, liete venite, (to dance, to dance, come happily)
ninfe gradite, fior di beltà. (pleasant nymphs, flowers of beauty)
Or, che sì chiaro il vago fonte (Now that the cloudy fountain is so clear)
dall'alto monte al mar sen' va. (it flows from the mountain to the sea)
Suoi dolci versi spiega l'augello, (His sweet verses the little bird sings)
e l'arboscello fiorito sta. (and the sapling becomes the flower)
Un volto bello al l'ombra accanto (a beautiful face in the shade nearby)
sol si dia vanto d'haver pieta. (only to take pride in having pity)
Al canto, al canto, ninfe ridenti, (To song, to song laughing maidens)
Scacciate i venti di crudelta (drive away the breath of cruelty)

Illustrations:

1. Coverpage of "Primo libro d'arie musicali per cantarsi" published in Florence, 1630
2. Diana and the Nymphs of the forest,Jacob Adriaensz Backer, c1640
3. Terpsichore with a chitarrone, Giovanni Baglione, 1620
4. "Se l'aura spira," Verse 1, G. Frescobaldi, Primo libro d'arie musicali per cantarsi, 1630
5. Musical company on balcony, Gerrit van Honthorst, c1622
6. Detail from "Lute player," Jan Lievensz, 1629

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