Due pallidetti amanti

Two pale lovers meet by a fountain, their faces troubled. One speaks of a hope that lives within the other, which remains even in separation. The second replies that even when parting, a part of them stays behind, and when staying, a part of them departs. Alessandro de Milleville sets this poignant dialogue in a five-part Italian madrigal for SAATB voices. The intricate polyphony captures the lovers' intertwined emotions, their divided selves and lingering affections. It is a work of secular Renaissance part-music, reflecting the expressive and sophisticated vocal writing of the period.