Fiamma dolce e soave

This SATB madrigal by S.B. de Ferro sets a passionate Italian text. The music opens with a sense of gentle ardour, the voices weaving together to express the intense emotions of the lyric. The composer captures the paradox of painful pleasure described in the words, where the beloved's gaze ignites both desire and a sense of despair. The text speaks of a sweet, gentle flame born from beautiful eyes, which inspires a deep burning in the heart and a sighing breath of both sorrow and delight. It compares this powerful influence to the sun, whose golden rays eclipse all other light, drawing the singer into a dizzying turmoil.