Dunque fia ver dicea che mi convegna

Claudio Merulo was a prominent composer of the late Renaissance. This secular madrigal for three voices (soprano, alto, tenor) is an example of the genre's expressive qualities, setting a text that laments the singer's unrequited love. The words describe a desperate search for someone who flees and hides, a person who disdains and does not respond to pleas. The singer questions whether they must suffer such neglect, wondering if an immortal goddess would need to descend from heaven to ignite love in the heart of the one who is so proud of their own profound virtues.