Amor che sì digiuno

Philippe de Monte’s striking secular madrigal Amor che sì digiuno sets a text of unrequited love. The poet describes how Love keeps him starved of the sweetness he craves, though the beloved appeared courteous. She is the one he follows and who despises him, and when her eyes, sources of such sweetness, were closed, the poet asks who could have been more blessed than he, if only that beautiful light had not been hidden. This polyphonic setting for SAATB voices in Italian vividly captures the emotional arc of the text, from longing to bitter-sweet reflection. It is a fine example of Renaissance part-music for an a cappella choir.