Cantai già lieto

Luca Marenzio’s Cantai già lieto paints a vivid picture of love’s torment. The opening lines express a former joy, a freedom from love’s chains now broken and a desire to heal past wounds. But this freedom is fleeting, as the singer is now ensnared by love’s woes, bound and helpless. He cries out, but his pleas for mercy and a lighter fate are met with disdain from his proud lady. She revels in his suffering, his sighs only fueling her amusement. He feels trapped, like a bird struggling in a snare, his attempts to escape only drawing him deeper into her inescapable grip. This secular Italian madrigal for SSATTB captures the dramatic and often painful emotions of unrequited love with Marenzio’s characteristic flair.