Di semplice farfalla

Luzzasco Luzzaschi was a leading composer of madrigals in late 16th-century Ferrara. Di semplice farfalla is a secular work for SSATB voices, sung in Italian. The text compares a simple butterfly burning itself at a flame to a heart consumed by love. The composer explores the contrast between the suffering of the lover and the indifference of those who observe it, suggesting that only divine pity or a gentle breeze can offer solace. Luzzaschi’s setting captures the poignant imagery of the poem, typical of the expressive madrigal tradition.