Ardo sì, ma non t'amo

This Italian madrigal for SAATB voices comes from the secular tradition of Renaissance part-music. The composer Georg Florius sets a text by Guarini which explores a complex emotional state: the singer burns, but not with love. The lyrics express a defiant love rejected by a cruel beloved, asserting that the heart is now healed and any burning is from disdain, not passion. This setting would have been appreciated for its sophisticated musical treatment of such intricate sentiments, typical of the era's interest in conveying poetic meaning through intricate vocal interplay and harmonic colour.