This is my barless transcription of Luca Marenzio’s Zefiro Torna, a remarkable example of late Renaissance madrigal writing, vividly illustrating imagery through music. In adapting this work for ATTB recorders, I have chosen a barless transcription to allow performers greater freedom in phrasing. Note values remain unchanged from the original, but the score has been transposed up a fifth to better suit the recorder’s range. Tempos from this period were generally 60-80bpm, although all tempos and expression markings in the score are my own and intended only as suggestions.

I have made a musica ficta adjustment in the alto part at the end of the first section, adding a sharp over the G at the cadence—a modification not present in the original score but likely applied in performance. From letter P to the end, the piece unfolds in a striking succession of dissonances—an intentional yet unexpected device within the style of the late Renaissance, heightening the madrigal’s dramatic tension.