Vocal classical music

Renaissance

• The aged lover renounceth love (lyrics). Words by T. Vaux. This is the most famous setting of the poem, but there is also an earlier alternate setting.
• Byrd, W. – My mind to me a kingdom is (lyrics). Words attributed to E. Dyer. Another, anonymous setting of the same poem later appeared in Pills to purge melancholy.
• Cenci, G. – La mantovana (lyrics). This one greatly influenced European folk music, with folk songs derived from it including the Romanian Carul cu boi and Cucuruz cu frunza-n sus, the Scottish My mistress is pretty and the Swedish Värmlandsvisan. A related Czech folk melody was quoted by B. Smetana in his symphonic poem Vltava; the tune also appears in the second strain of the Polish military song Szara piechota.
• Cornysh, W. – Ah, robin (lyrics). Words by T. Wyatt. This version is arranged as a solo song, but the original was a round.
• Edwardes, R. – In commendation of music (lyrics).
• The faithful lover (lyrics). Words by H. Howard.
• Have I caught my heavenly jewel? (lyrics). Words by P. Sidney, from his sonnet sequence Astrophil and Stella.
• Nicholson, R. –  Joan, quoth John (lyrics). The lyrics belong to the I cannot come every day to woo family.
• A thousand kisses (lyrics). Words by W. Shakespeare, from his narrative poem Venus and Adonis.
• What if a day (lyrics). Words attributed to T. Campion. A Dutch song Merck toch hoe sterck was later set to this melody, in one of the many examples of links between Dutch and English Renaissance music.

Baroque

• Arne, T. – Thou soft-flowing Avon (lyrics). Words by D. Garrick.
• Corkine, W. – Truth-trying time (lyrics).
• Farmelo, F. – The downfall of Charing Cross (lyrics).
• Ford, T. – Oh, how my soul (lyrics).
• Greaves, T. – I will not force my thoughts (lyrics).
• Humfrey, P. – A young man sat sighing (lyrics). Yet another willow song.
• Johnson, R. – As I walked forth (lyrics).
• Lawes, H.:
  • Disdain returned (lyrics). Words by T. Carew.
  • Self-blinding error (lyrics). Words adapted from W. Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116.
• Pepys, S. – Beauty, retire (lyrics). Words by W. Davenant. Yes, composed by that Pepys.
• Pieśń rokoszan Zebrzydowskiego (lyrics). Song of the Zebrzydowski rebels. Sometimes called the only complete Polish Renaissance song that deserves to be called a madrigal, although I suspect it was actually composed by a foreigner, as the lyrics sound like they were written by someone who spoke Polish as a second language.
• Wilson, J.:
  • From the fair Lavinian shore (lyrics).
  • In the merry month of May (lyrics). Words by N. Breton.

Classical

• Beethoven, L. van – Bundeslied (another version, lyrics). Words by J. W. von Goethe. The music was later adapted as the anthem of Lower Austria.
• Smith, J. S. – The anacreontic song (lyrics). Words by R. Tomlinson. The official song of the Anacreontic Society in London. The music was later adapted as the national anthem of the United States of America.

Romantic

• Chaĭkovskiĭ, P. I. – Finale of the Cantata for the opening of the Polytechnic Exhibition (lyrics). File rescued from the sadly defunct Russian Anthem Museum.
• Kryz͡hanivsʹkyĭ, D. – Reve ta stohne Dnipr shyrokyĭ (lyrics). Words by T. Shevchenko.
• Lee, A. L. – The dying Californian (lyrics). Words by K. Harris. There is also a traditional song and a religious hymn based on the same lyrics.
• Moniuszko, S.:
  • Krakowiaczek (lyrics). Words by E. Wasilewski. A Cracovienne best known for its bars 11–14, which were used as a jingle for TV Cracow.
  • Prząśniczka (lyrics). Words by J. Czeczot. A song most closely associated with the city of Łódź.
• Schumann, R. – Die beiden Grenadiere 🎤 (lyrics). Words by H. Heine. The final strains are a musical paraphrase of the French La Marseillaise, and were themselves adapted as a melody for the Russian Workers’ Marseillaise.
• Szentirmay E. – Csak egy szép lány (lyrics).
• Żeleński, W. – Góralu, czy ci nie żal? (lyrics). Words by M. Bałucki. Music sometimes attributed to M. Świerzyński.

Modern

• Eisler, H. – Kinderhymne (lyrics). Words by B. Brecht. It was written as a kind of counterpoint to the first verse of the German national anthem.
• Fougstedt, N.-E. – Romanssi (lyrics). Words by R. Palmroth.
• Hannikainen, I. – Kalevalainen vieraan tervehdys (lyrics). Music written for the welcome song from the Kalevala.
• Lüdig, M. – Koit (lyrics). Traditional opening song of Estonian song festivals, with words by F. Kuhlbars.
• Poli͡achek, A. – Li͡ubovʹ k rodine (lyrics). Words by F. Savinov.
• Simm, J. – Mulgimaale (lyrics). Song about the Estonian region of Mulgimaa, with words by H. Adamson.

‹ back to Pauline’s MIDI collection