Donna se fiera

This striking Italian madrigal by Philippe Verdelot captures a lover's lament. The words speak of a beloved who, like a proud star, has driven the singer far away, stealing his peace. His soul, ever devoted, finds pleasure in no one but her. He grieves that another's fault should cause him such pain and loss, and that a new lover might rejoice in his suffering. He implores her luminous, noble gaze, which has sustained him in his lofty and gentle life, to spare him his death. The intricate five-part texture for STTTB allows for rich harmonic colour and contrapuntal interplay, characteristic of the Renaissance secular part-music.