Come t'incontro sola

This delightful Italian madrigal for SATB voices captures a fleeting romantic encounter. The text speaks of meeting a beloved alone, stealing a kiss, and then letting her go freely. The composer conveys the tender and slightly melancholic joy of this brief moment, where the singer finds contentment simply in having offered a kiss. Andrea Rota’s setting is characteristic of the secular part-music tradition of the Renaissance, likely intended for intimate gatherings or private performance, where the expressive qualities of the voices can be fully appreciated.