Amor, se brami sciorti

This striking SATTB madrigal by Allesandre Spontone sets a secular Italian text imploring Amor (Love) to avenge the wrongs inflicted by ungrateful and faithless women. The composer urges Love to break the chains of those who suffer, and with its burning fire, to destroy the hearts of these unfeeling ladies. Spontone’s writing here exemplifies the expressive nature of Renaissance part-music, where intricate vocal lines and harmonic colour are employed to convey the dramatic and emotional content of the poetry. This work would be an engaging programmatic choice for a choir seeking to explore the rich tradition of Italian madrigals.