Amour me fait

Cipriano de Rore’s Amour me fait is a sophisticated secular chanson for five voices (SATTB). The music begins with an imitative texture, the voices entering one by one, creating a sense of developing argument. The text, in French, describes the torment of love, yet the poet finds solace in the beloved's reciprocal affection. He declares himself a willing servant to his lady, even prepared to suffer greatly for her. The poem concludes with a plea to his lady, expressing that her suffering mirrors his own, and a hopeful anticipation of her pity and mercy. This work exemplifies the expressive word-setting characteristic of the mid-16th century.