Ama ben dice Amore

Ruggiero Giovannelli was a prolific composer of madrigals in late 16th-century Italy. His setting of Guarini's text, Ama ben dice Amore, is a fine example of the genre for SSATB voices. The secular Italian poem describes the power of Love, which commands the singer to adore the beauty of a goddess. Yet, the object of affection is also described as a 'barbaric woman', an enemy of Love and pity, who kills lovers and then laughs at their plight. Giovannelli’s music would have vividly depicted these contrasting emotions and the dramatic narrative of the text, typical of the sophisticated polyphony of the period.