Hor ch'io son gionto quivi

Orazio Vecchi was a prominent composer of canzonette in late 16th-century Italy. His secular Italian songs often feature light, syllabic settings and descriptive text painting. Hor ch'io son gionto quivi is a fine example of this genre, written for a mixed ensemble of SSAT and SATB voices. The text describes the poet's arrival in a pleasant natural setting, where he resolves to sing of Cupid, the fierce boy of Venus. He elaborates on Cupid's nature, how he reassures men but then deceives them, causing women with sweet words to inflict bitter pain. The song concludes with the poet lamenting how Cupid binds him, then flees, leaving him miserable and consumed by longing.