Baci soavi e cari

Vincenzo dal Pozzo's Baci soavi e cari is a secular Italian madrigal for two choirs, SSAAB and SAATB. The composer crafts a rich texture through the interplay of these two ensembles, creating moments of dramatic contrast and delicate intimacy. The text, which speaks of sweet and dear kisses, both giving and taking away the heart, offers a powerful image of love's all-consuming nature. The singer who experiences such a profound rapture, the words suggest, can forget even the pain of death, so sweet is this passion. Dal Pozzo's setting vividly captures this intense emotion, with the music reflecting the text's ardour and ultimate desire for a death found in the rapture of love's embrace.