Deh perché voglio

Jacquet de Berchem was a Franco-Flemish composer of the mid-16th century, active in Italy. This four-part Italian madrigal, Deh perché voglio, is a secular work from the height of the genre. The text, taken from Canto XXXII of Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso, explores the bewilderment and regret of a lover who cannot understand how he fell prey to Cupid’s charms. He questions why he should not have resisted the irresistible beauty and wisdom of his beloved, lamenting his fate and likening his plight to one who shuns the sun. The SATB setting captures the expressive and often dramatic nature of the madrigal, with intricate vocal interplay reflecting the text’s emotional turmoil.