The Destined Knot

Marenzio’s madrigals do not provide a complete narrative following Guarini’s play, so we have filled in some of the gaps along the way with the help of artist, Eleanor Meredith. This visualisation will cross the language barrier, helping to communicate the story.

This epic tale of lovers tossed by fate and fortune was once famous throughout Europe, inspiring hundreds of composers including Luca Marenzio. His seventh book of madrigals draws its texts almost entirely from Guarini’s play and travels through all the trials and torments of love.

These madrigals have been selected from Marenzio’s sixth, seventh (1595) and eighth (1598) books of five-voice madrigals and placed in the order in which their texts appear in the play. As Marenzio’s madrigals do not tell the complete story of Guarini’s play, we have filled in some of the gaps along the way with the help of artist Eleanor Meredith who has created an animation.