Ardo lungi et dapresso

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, a towering figure of the late Renaissance, was a master of sacred polyphony, but also composed secular works such as this madrigal. Written for SATB voices, Ardo lungi et dapresso is set in Italian. The text expresses a lover’s torment, burning both near and far, finding little relief from their intense passion. It speaks of the paradox of desire: that proximity to the beloved could be fatal, yet distance offers no solace. The poem grapples with the futility of trying to temper such ardent feelings, concluding that both closeness and flight are ultimately unhelpful.