Baci amorosi e cari

Simone Molinaro was a composer of the late Renaissance, active in Genoa. This secular madrigal for SSATB voices is a fine example of Italian part-music from the period. The text expresses a passionate yearning for love's embraces, with the singer lamenting their scarcity while simultaneously being consumed by desire. The lyrics poetically describe the wish for a single kiss to bestow both soul and life, highlighting the intense emotional and physical longing inherent in the text. Molinaro’s setting would have been intended for intimate performance among friends or at court.