Già mi parevi, o donna

The poet compares his lady to a vermilion rose hidden within a hedge. Seeing her now fading, he likens her to a violet and a lily. Yet, he reflects, though she may yield to the rose, her pallor surpasses the brightest candour of any other flower. This secular Italian madrigal for SSATB voices explores these rich, visual metaphors with sensitivity. Lorenzo del Turco sets Petracci's poetic imagery in this expressive Renaissance part-song, where the interplay of voices brings the delicate comparisons to life, culminating in a striking image of pale beauty.