Ama l'Aquila Giove

Andrea Gabrieli, a central figure in the Venetian school of the late Renaissance, composed this secular Italian madrigal for SATTB voices. Ama l'Aquila Giove explores themes of divine and mortal love, drawing from classical mythology. The text describes Jupiter's eagle and Venus's swan, contrasting their mythological pairings with the speaker's beloved's affection for a wild bird. The madrigal suggests that by holding this small creature with kindness, the eagle and swan themselves will be humbled, reflecting a charming if fanciful vision of love's power.