Forte soporifera

This secular Latin setting by Orlando di Lasso for SATTB voices presents a vivid depiction of nymphs attending to a slumbering lover by the waters of Baiae. The text describes how the gentle god of love, finding pleasure in the water's murmur, causes the nymphs to rush forth. They hide their torches beneath the waves, but to their surprise, the water itself soon ignites, perpetually heating the baths. The lovers' ardour, it seems, cannot be quenched by mere water, a theme explored with rich polyphony characteristic of Lasso's mastery.