Baci soavi e cari (Prima Parte)

Carlo Gesualdo's madrigal Baci soavi e cari (Prima Parte) is a prime example of the Italian secular vocal music of the late Renaissance. Scored for SATTB voices, it explores the complex emotional landscape characteristic of the genre. The text speaks of sweet and dear kisses, described as the 'food of life'. These kisses have the power to steal the singer's heart, yet also to return it. The lyrics poetically express how an enraptured soul, consumed by love, can be so detached from worldly suffering that it feels no pain, even in the face of death, despite experiencing a profound sense of dying.