Da l'empia gelosia nasce (Quarta stanza)

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was a towering figure of the late Renaissance, his name synonymous with the purest style of Catholic polyphony. Yet his output also included secular madrigals, like Da l'empia gelosia nasce, which reveal a different, more passionate side. This setting for SATB voices, sung in Italian, explores the torment born of jealous love. The text describes how this torment deprives the singer of his beloved, extinguishing his very life force and silencing the sweet words that once sustained him. The composer’s masterful contrapuntal writing vividly portrays the profound sorrow and resignation expressed in the words, culminating in a poignant contrast between consuming tears and a seemingly outward embrace of the world.