Fortuna desperata is a secular Italian song, possibly originally by Busnois (but others credit Antoine Brumel). It was used by many other authors in the following 75 years, for both variations and cantus firmus masses, and over 30 such reworkings are known. Words in the original Italian and in English and German are available at Choral Wiki [1].
The first verse is
- 'Fortuna desperata
- Iniqua e maledecta
- Che de tal dona electa
- La fama hai denigrata.'
translated as
- 'Desperate fate,
- iniquitous and maledicted
- who blackened the good name
- of a woman beyond compare.'
Amongst the more well-known versions of the song are the three-voice version by Busnois, its reworking for six voices by Alexander Agricola, a three-part instrumental version possibly by Josquin, and a three-voice version by Heinrich Isaac. See [2] (archive from 29 December 2014, accessed 26 February 2016) for several others.
Parody masses
Amongst the mass-settings are those by Josquin and Obrecht and Pierquin de Thérache.[1]
References
- ^ Symphonies lorraines: compositeurs, exécutants, destinataires ; Yves Ferraton - 1998 -"ette œuvre attribuée à Periquin par les copistes espagnols, Pierquin de Thérache sélectionne la partie de tenor extraite d'une chanson italienne à trois voix composée par Antoine Busnois "5 : Fortuna desperata iniqua maledicta che di tal dona electa la fama ay denegata."