Candid'allor del ciel

Orlando di Lasso, a master of Renaissance polyphony, composed this Italian madrigal for SATTB voices. The text describes a celestial vision: an angel descends to a riverbank, appearing so perfect that the narrator cries out in awe. The vision vanishes as suddenly as it arrived, leaving the narrator with a bittersweet longing and the memory of a beautiful yet fleeting encounter. Lasso's setting captures the dramatic unfolding of this moment, moving from wonder to a poignant sense of loss. It is a fine example of secular part-music from the era, exploring human emotion through intricate vocal writing and expressive harmony.