Aure soavi e liete is a dramatic secular cantata

Cantata

A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....

 for soprano written by Georg Frideric Handel in 1707. Other catalogues of Handel's music have referred to the work as HG

Händel-Gesellschaft

Between 1858 and 1902, the Händel-Gesellschaft, or "German Handel Society," produced a collected 105-volume edition of the works of Georg Frideric Handel. Even though the collection was initiated by the society, many of the volumes were published by Friedrich Chrysander working alone...

 l,12 (there is no HHA

Hallische Händel-Ausgabe

The Hallische Händel-Ausgabe is a multi-volume collection of the works of George Frideric Handel. It was first published in the 1950s: initially as an adjunct to the HG edition, but by 1958 as a collected edition in its own right...

 designation of the work). The title of the cantata translates as "Soft and delightful breezes".

Synopsis

The text blends delightful nature images with the feelings the singer has for his beloved Clori.

Structure

The work is scored for solo soprano and keyboard (with scattered figured bass

Figured bass

Figured bass, or thoroughbass, is a kind of integer musical notation used to indicate intervals, chords, and non-chord tones, in relation to a bass note...

 markings). The cantata contains two recitative-aria pairings.

A typical performance of the work takes about five and a half minutes.

Movements

The work consists of four movements

Movement (music)

A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...

:

Movement	Type	Key sig.	Time sig.	Tempo	Bars	Text (Italian)	Text (approx. English)	Notes
1	Recitative		4/4		17	Aure soavi e liete, ombre notturne e chete, voi dall'estivo ardore, dolci ne difendete. Ma non trova il mio core, nel suo cocente ognor loco amoroso, chi lo difenda o chi gli dia riposo. onde fra voi solingo di parlar a colei che pur non m'ode, aure soavi, ombre notturene io fingo.	Soft and delightful breezes, silent night shadows, from the summer heat, you give sweet relief. But my heart cannot find, in its ever-burning loving core, the one who will defend it or give it rest. alone among you I pretend speaking to her who does not hear me, gentle breezes, night shadows.
2	Aria	E-flat major	4/4	Adagio	21	Care luci, che l'alba rendete quand'a me cosi belle apparite voi nel cor mille fiamme accendete, ma pietà dell'ardor non sentite.	Dear eyes, that brings the dawn when so beautiful you appear to me you light a thousand flames in my heart, but you do not feel pity.	The key signature is written with only two flats, and A-flats have been written in as accidentals. The opening musical phrase ("Care luci") hangs on an arched melody that Handel also used in his opera Rodrigo, as well as in Messiah (Comfort ye my people).
3	Recitative		4/4		8	Pietà, Clori, pietà! se quel che pietà sia dentro al tuo cor si sà, deh! fa che l'alma mia veda e conosca a prova che la pietà nel tuo bel cor si trova.	Pity, Clori, pity! if that which pity is known inside your heart, pray! make my soul see and experience the proof that pity exists in your beautiful heart.
4	Aria	G minor	3/8		34	Un aura flebile, un ombra mobile sperar mi fà, che Clori amabile nell'alma nobile senta pietà.	A gentle breeze, a passing shadow gives me hope, that lovely Clori in her noble soul feel pity.	Three sections (6, 8 and 20 bars)—the first two with repeat markings. Includes a "Da Capo", "Fine" instruction.

(Movements do not contain repeat markings unless indicated. The number of bars is the raw number in the manuscript—not including repeat markings. The above is taken from volume 50, starting at page 12, of the Händel-Gesellschaft edition.)

See also

• List of cantatas by George Frideric Handel