Cosi nel mio parlar

Luca Marenzio, a celebrated composer of the late Renaissance, penned this evocative Italian madrigal for SATTB voices. The text, filled with classical allusions, speaks of a beloved's unyielding nature, likening her to a hard stone that remains impervious to entreaties. The poet laments that his words, intended to be sharp like the stone's nature, are met with such coldness. He describes how her unyielding demeanor and refusal to yield to his affections are like an arrow that cannot penetrate her, yet her own 'arrows' of indifference strike him down, rendering his defenses useless. Marenzio’s musical setting masterfully captures the emotional tension and the poetic imagery of this unrequited love.