Soprano saxophone and harp, in the arrangement by Asya Fateyeva and Luise Enzian, of “Spera, mi disse amore” (“Love Told Me to Hope”). The melodic lament of composer and harpist Orazio Michi “dell’Arpa” is brought to us by Deutsche Grammophon in 2024 and made available to the public. The harp introduces the story that is about to be told in this lament of love, and the solo saxophone plays the opening bars of this great question: Hope has been told to me by Love. What is there to hope for? The question returns, asking about nothing more than pain itself. A passionate and assured narrative, protesting the question and telling the known outcome. And in the end, more hope, in the form of the final bars, for the same question and the same answer.

I share and highlight this musical piece to praise this musical arrangement: virtuosic, honest, and complete—phrases and harmonies that sound contemporary, even though they were created four centuries ago.

If you loved this piece of music, and perhaps there is more curiosity, I invite you to read the lyrics (cantataitaliana.it) and/or enjoy another version by Roberta Invermizzi and Margret Köll for Soprano & Harp; or enjoy it on Soprano and Theorbo, by Maikki Säikkä & Tuomas Kourula.

Which one do you prefer? Were you captivated by this spoken melodies?

a little drawing for this great artists