Bocca soave

Tomaso Cecchino's Bocca soave is a solo motet for treble voice, setting a Petrarchan sonnet in Italian. The text is a complex plea to a loved one, a mixture of tenderness and bitter complaint. The speaker addresses the 'sweet and dear mouth' of the beloved, lamenting that what was once sweet has now become bitter. He kisses the mouth to sample the same 'poisonous scent' that the beloved has already 'drunk' for him. The speaker admits his boldness and asks for forgiveness, but blames the beloved's excessive love for his own daring actions. This is a sophisticated example of Italian secular polyphony from the early 17th century, suitable for recitals or liturgical occasions where solo motets are appropriate.