Dolce nemica mia

Pomponio Nenna was a significant composer of madrigals in late 16th- and early 17th-century Italy. This secular work, Dolce nemica mia, is written for three voices (SST) and sets a poignant Italian text. The lyrics express the lament of a lover whose beloved is a 'sweet enemy', preventing him from loving her, yet vowing to follow her even to hell. He pleads that if she does not want his love, she should let him go so he may find happiness and courtesy elsewhere. Nenna’s setting would have been intended for skilled amateur or professional performers, characteristic of the sophisticated Italian madrigal tradition.