Donna, voi mi paret'un angioletta

Teodoro Riccio’s secular Italian canzona paints a vivid picture of infatuation. The opening words compare the beloved to an angel descended from heaven, proclaiming her the queen of the singer’s heart. This is Renaissance part-music for a large choir of five voices (soprano, alto, tenor, tenor, bass) and another five voices (soprano, soprano, tenor, tenor, bass), creating a rich, resonant texture. The composer uses this expanded sonority to explore the devotional intensity of Petrarchan ideals, presenting a scene of ardent admiration and idealised love within the expressive framework of Italian madrigalism.