Al più cocente raggio

Jacquet de Berchem's Al più cocente raggio is a secular Italian madrigal for SATB voices. The music opens with a vivid depiction of the text's narrative: the hunter Adonis, weary from chasing a deer, finds himself caught in a storm. The composer effectively uses the interplay of the four voices to paint a picture of the approaching tempest and the subsequent divine intervention, as grace and love descend from heaven. Adonis's brief, yet eventful, encounter with this celestial presence is mirrored in the madrigal's energetic yet refined musical language. The piece concludes as Adonis, blessed by this vision, returns to his original path, scattering flowers and singing verses.