Da non veduto aspetto

Marco Antonio Ingegneri was a leading composer of madrigals in the late Renaissance. This four-part setting for ATTB voices, sung in Italian, is a fine example of the genre, capturing the essence of secular part-music. The text speaks of an unseen force that ignites a sweet and gentle flame, a feeling both strange and unfamiliar. Amor, it seems, subtly lays traps, drawing the singer towards a new ardour. The composer masterfully depicts this gradual, intense awakening of emotion, with the final lines expressing wonder and a fervent plea to the soul and heart to embrace this powerful adoration.