E la Tigre spietata

The composer Scipione Dentice presents a vivid depiction of a merciless tigress in this Italian secular madrigal. The text, sung by a SATTB choir, contrasts the animal's cruelty with the possibility of love, suggesting even the fiercest creature can be conquered by affection. However, the focus shifts to the beloved, whose heart is described as proud and untouched by love's power. The singer implores them to reconsider their harshness, to awaken pity within themselves by reflecting on the singer's devotion and their own unyielding cruelty. Dentice's setting captures the dramatic and emotional shifts of this poetic narrative.