Arsi mentre à voi piacque

Paolo Virchi's Arsi mentre à voi piacque is a four-part Italian madrigal, composed for SATTB voices. This secular work from the Renaissance era explores the complex emotions of love and rejection. The text describes a speaker who burned with love as long as it pleased their beloved, but whose passion waned when that love was turned elsewhere. A new ardour then arose, fueled by disdain, as the speaker felt their gift of love was deemed unworthy. The final lines allude to a laurel, once used to honour the beloved's name, now seemingly dried, symbolising the end of this devotion. This madrigal offers a dramatic and expressive exploration of the speaker's shifting affections.