The music for this lovely song was originally composed for a Ronsard text, so it seems unusual at first that it fits the text of this poem by Philip Sidney so well. But then, poetic meters were highly standardized at the time, and the wry yet emotional tone of the poem was prevalent in much Renaissance literature, so the fit is not that surprising after all. The setting is strophic (each verse has the same melodic pattern) and the accompaniment is quite simple, matching the relative simplicity and directness of the text. The poem has 26 stanzas, so is nearly always cut in performance and generally in recordings. It describes the meeting between "Astrophil" and "Stella, " the pseudonyms that Sidney used for himself and Penelope Devereux Rich, the married woman with whom he was in love. (She was, by the way, the sister of Robert Devereux, whom Donizetti, among others, made the subject of an opera.) Both admit their love, but she refuses to break her marriage vows and go away with him. The simple structure of the musical setting, largely step-wise but with an emotional arch on the third line of each verse, and the frequent slight rhythmic changes portray the mix of poetic detachment and emotional passion perfectly, and the work is both expressive and affecting.

© All Music Guide