Deh come favellate

Annibale Gregori's Deh come favellate is a secular Italian madrigal for SATTB voices, characteristic of Renaissance part-music. The text expresses intense amorous feeling, with the lover questioning his beloved's beautiful eyes. He asks how they speak to him, how they ignite his passion. He observes that if they are lights and not torches, it is clear that in them reside the tongues that for him are tongues of fire, so potent is their effect. The composer's setting reflects the emotional intensity of the poem with its rich vocal textures.