Credeva che la fiamma

Cornelio Antonelli’s Credeva che la fiamma is a secular Italian madrigal for three male voices (TTB). It was written for intimate gatherings where lovers might reflect on their feelings. The text expresses a lover’s mistaken belief that distance would extinguish their passion. Instead, the absence of their beloved only intensifies their suffering and darkens their thoughts, leaving them with a bitter heart. Antonelli’s music captures the poignant contrast between the lover’s initial expectation of relief and the reality of their enduring pain. This madrigal offers a moment of reflection on the complex and often contradictory nature of romantic love, suitable for a chamber choir seeking to explore Renaissance vocal polyphony.