Così la fama scriva

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was a towering figure of the High Renaissance, celebrated for his sacred music but also a master of secular forms. Così la fama scriva is a madrigal for four voices (SATB), written in Italian. The text expresses a desire for lasting fame, etched in stone, celebrating the virtue of its dedicatees as they ascend towards the dawn. The composer vividly portrays the soaring spirit of those praised, while the singer declares their own journey, adorned by noble names, from sunrise to sunset. This secular part-song exemplifies the intricate counterpoint and expressive text-setting characteristic of the Italian madrigal tradition.