Ich brinn und bin entzündt - Brinn und zürne nur immerfort

Hans Leo Hassler’s Ich brinn und bin entzündt, part of his collection of secular German madrigals, opens with a lively, contrapuntal texture. The four SATB voices engage in a spirited dialogue, mirroring the text’s passionate, if ultimately negative, sentiment. The lyrics express a burning indignation rather than love, directed at a faithless beloved whose deceit has destroyed any affection. The ensuing dialogue, answering the initial outcry, dismisses the beloved’s protestations and scorn with equal indifference, declaring that neither their passion nor their anger holds any sway. The music reflects this dramatic exchange, with imitative passages and moments of direct harmonic address between the voices.