Many sighs about nothing
Thomas Augustine Arne (1710 - 1778): Sigh no more, ladies, dalle musiche di scena (1748) per Much ado about nothing di W. Shakespeare (atto II, scena 3a).
– Versione per voce solista e orchestra d’archi: Alexander Young, tenore; Martin Isepp, clavicembalo; Wiener Rundfunkorchester, dir. Brian Priestman.
– Versione per 3 voci virili (TTB) a cappella: The Hilliard Ensemble.
Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more.
Men were deceivers ever,
One foot in sea, and one on shore,
To one thing constant never.
Then sigh not so, but let them go,
And be you blithe and merry,
Converting all your sounds of woe
Into hey down derry.
Sing no more ditties, sing no more
Of dumps so dull and heavy.
The fraud of men was ever so
Since summer first was leavy.
Then sigh not so, but let them go,
And be you blithe and merry,
Converting all your sounds of woe
Into hey down derry.
la regina gioiosa 