Del gran Tuonante la sorella e moglie

Imagine a dramatic scene at the heart of a storm. The sister and wife of the great Thunderer, Jupiter, sees an unparalleled mortal beauty on earth and tries to claim her life. She stirs Aeolus, god of winds, who unleashes a tempest upon the ship carrying this beauty. She takes refuge in the waves, appearing like a new Tethys. Nereus, mistaking her for one of his nymphs, rescues her. Juno, thwarted, yields victory to the triumphant goddess. This Italian madrigal for double SSATB choir vividly depicts this mythological struggle with powerful, swirling textures and dramatic contrasts.