E tradimento indegno

Francesco Bianciardi's E tradimento indegno is a secular Italian madrigal for SSATB voices, ideal for a programme of Renaissance part-music. The text expresses the singer's outrage at betrayal, describing the lover's eyes as weapons that wound the heart. The poet, however, pledges to accept death if it pleases the beloved, and in return, she will gain honour from his demise. The music, when sung by a discerning choir, can vividly portray the dramatic unfolding of these emotions, from anger to resigned sorrow.