Ah dolente partita

Agostino Agresta's Ah, dolente partita is a secular madrigal for SSATTB voices. The music immediately establishes a sense of profound sorrow, with the opening lines of the text expressing the pain of departure and the feeling of dying. The composer uses the six voices to weave a rich, complex texture, exploring the profound emotional conflict of leaving a loved one. The polyphony vividly portrays the suffering described in the lyrics, where the singer experiences the penalty of death and a 'lively dying' with every parting. This Italian text speaks of a heart condemned to immortal sorrow through this living death.