Del mio sdegno non fa

Dragoni’s Del mio sdegno non fa is a vigorous SATTB madrigal from the late 16th century. The music opens with a determined flourish, the voices interjecting with a declamatory drive that perfectly captures the text’s defiant spirit. The composer uses imitation and homophony to give shape to the poem, which speaks of scorn and repentance in love. The text makes clear that the singer’s defiance is a point of pride, its reward a painful lesson in love. This is part-music that requires clarity of articulation and bold expression, typical of the Italian secular tradition of the period.