This edition was prepared by Allen Garvin — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Baciai per aver vita
Staff Notation • Secular, Madrigals
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Baciai per aver vita by Peter Philips — Lyrics
Baciai per aver vita,
ch'ov'è bellezza è vita, ed ebbi morte;
ma morte sì gradita,
che più beata sorte
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About Baciai per aver vita
Peter Philips was a significant composer of the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. His secular Italian madrigal Baciai per aver vita is written for SSAATB choir. The text expresses a paradox: the singer sought life through a kiss, but received death instead. Yet, this death is so welcome that he could never have wished for a happier fate while alive. He confesses that kissing the lips of such beauty in a fair face stole his heart away. The music likely reflects these intense emotions through rich harmonies and contrapuntal textures, characteristic of the madrigal tradition.
