Ecco che pur vi lasso

Orlando di Lasso, a towering figure of the late Renaissance, composed this striking Italian madrigal for SATTB voices. The text, penned by Giambattista Marino, expresses a lover's anguished farewell, lamenting the departure from his beloved and the hills they shared. He hopes his persistent pleas, his extreme complaints, might finally soften the heart of his stone-hearted beloved, perhaps bringing tears to her eyes. Lasso masterfully captures the emotional weight of Marino's words, creating a work of profound expressive power characteristic of the secular Italian polyphony of its era. The intricate interplay between the five voice parts allows for a rich exploration of the text's sorrowful plea.