I' piango

Hippolito Sabino's I piango is a secular madrigal for SATTB voices, written in Italian. The text describes a lover weeping, only to be comforted by their beloved who gently dries their tears. However, this comfort is fleeting, as the beloved then becomes angry with words that could break stones, before departing, leaving the lover to their sleep. Sabino captures the rapid emotional shifts within the text, moving from tenderness to fury and finally to resigned solitude. The five-part texture allows for rich harmonic colours and expressive interplay between the voices, reflecting the dramatic narrative of the poem.