Composer

:

Thomas Morley

Genre

:

Choral

Style

:

Part Song

Compose Date

:

before 1595

Publication Date

:

1595

Average_duration

:

2:35

"Shoot, false love, I care not" is a madrigal composed by Thomas Morley, an English composer, organist, and theorist of the Renaissance era. The piece was composed in the late 16th century, around 1595, and was first published in his collection of madrigals, "The Triumphs of Oriana" in 1601. The madrigal is written for five voices, with the text being a poem by Thomas Lodge. The poem is about a lover who has been betrayed by his beloved and is now indifferent to love. The music reflects the text, with the opening line "Shoot, false love, I care not" being set to a descending melody that emphasizes the speaker's rejection of love. The piece is in a simple, homophonic style, with the voices moving together in block chords. The melody is primarily in the top voice, with the other voices providing harmonic support. The piece is in a minor key, which adds to the melancholic mood of the text. The madrigal is divided into three sections, with each section having a different text. The first section is the most famous, with the opening line being repeated throughout. The second section is more lively, with the text describing the speaker's former love as a "siren" who lured him in with her beauty. The final section returns to the opening text, with the speaker once again rejecting love. Overall, "Shoot, false love, I care not" is a beautiful example of a Renaissance madrigal. Its simple, homophonic style and melancholic mood make it a timeless piece of music that is still performed and enjoyed today.

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