Care lagrime mie

Care lagrime mie is a secular Italian madrigal for SATTB voices by Marco da Gagliano. It opens with a flowing, imitative texture where the five voices weave together, creating a rich and expressive soundscape. The music closely follows the emotional arc of the text, depicting the singer’s sorrow and longing. The lyrics speak of tears as messengers of pain, pleading with them to either soften the heart of the beloved or to increase to the point where the singer drowns in their own weeping. Gagliano masterfully uses word painting and harmonic shifts to convey the deep melancholy and desperate plea expressed in the poem. This is a poignant example of Renaissance polyphony, showcasing Gagliano's skill in setting words to music.