Di faville d'amor

This secular madrigal for SATTB voices sets a passionate Italian poem. The text describes the muse being sent to a goddess, tasked with returning with good news or facing certain death. The music of Giovanni Andrea Dragoni reflects this dramatic narrative, exploring the interplay of light and shadow as the muse approaches its divine subject. The composer skillfully uses the five-part texture to convey the emotional arc of the text, from hopeful entreaty to the desperate plea for a swift end should the goddess prove unyielding. It is a fine example of late Renaissance part-music, full of expressive detail and vocal colour.