Eccone quasi giunti

Ruggiero Giovannelli was a composer of the late Renaissance. This setting of Italian text, classified as a secular madrigal, is written for SATTB voices. The lively text describes a group of hunters eagerly anticipating a successful chase, with one remarking that he has never seen a finer company of hunters and dogs. The mood is one of enthusiastic preparation, as the companions gather and make plans to surround the quarry, aiming to trap the cruel wolves. Giovannelli's music would have captured the excitement and camaraderie of the hunt, typical of the madrigal genre's expressive nature. The polyphonic writing for the five voice parts would allow for rich texture and dynamic interplay between the different vocal lines as the narrative unfolds.