A chi creder degg' io

Benedetto Pallavicino’s madrigal A chi creder degg' io is a striking example of secular Italian part-music from the late Renaissance. Set for SSATB voices, the work explores the fickle nature of love and belief. The text questions whom one should trust when words prove empty and are carried away by the wind. The composer captures this uncertainty, moving from doubt to a conditional plea that love must provide tangible proof to be believed. Pallavicino masterfully uses the five-part texture to convey the emotional turmoil and philosophical questioning inherent in the libretto, making it a rich and rewarding challenge for an accomplished choir.