E se mai l'empio sen

Benedetto Ferrari’s E se mai l’empio sen paints a vivid scene of righteous anger. The text imagines a furious wrath so powerful that its object’s features and severity will be carried off to Scythia, to embrace the mountains. This is secular part-music of the Italian Renaissance, specifically a madrigal, which explores the dramatic potential of such strong emotion. Scored for tenor voice, it uses the solo voice to convey the intensity of the sentiment with directness and impact.