Chi vi mir' et non v'ama

Tiburtio Massaino, a composer of the late Renaissance, wrote this madrigal for SATTB voices. The Italian text speaks of the transformative power of love and beauty. It suggests that anyone who sees and does not love, or hears and does not fall in love, lacks nobility and virtue. The lyrics further explain that even a brief glance or a humble response from the object of affection will set the admirer alight, demonstrating an overwhelming, almost supernatural, emotional response. Massaino’s setting of this passionate text for five voices would have been typical of secular part-music from the period, exploring rich harmonies and contrapuntal textures to convey the intensity of the verses.