De' cocenti sospir

Vincenzo Ruffo’s De’ cocenti sospir is a secular Italian madrigal for SATB voices. The text paints a vivid scene of a pained Saracen whose sighs ignite the air, met only by the echoes from hollow rocks. He laments the fickle nature of feminine wit, calling it contrary to faith and a cause of misery for anyone who believes in it. The music would have been written to reflect this dramatic and emotional text, a characteristic feature of the madrigal genre in the Renaissance period. This setting offers a compelling exploration of unrequited love and betrayal through rich vocal textures.