Amatemi, ben mio

Andrea Rota's Amatemi, ben mio is a secular Italian madrigal for SATTB choir. The text expresses a heartfelt plea for love, where the singer's heart rejects all other sustenance, living only for affection. They vow to love in return if their affection is reciprocated, their love enduring as long as life itself. However, the absence of returned love leads to despair and a desperate desire to die, rather than live unloved. This piece explores the intense emotions of love and its potential absence, a common theme in Renaissance madrigal settings.