I lieti amanti e le fanciulle tenere

This charming canzonetta from the late Renaissance sets a delicate pastoral text by Jacopo Sannazaro. Giovanni Battista Mosto crafts a delightful scene of happy lovers and tender maidens, recalling Venus's fire and arrows. The music evokes gentle dances to the sound of lutes, with lovers kissing like doves, enjoying sweet solace rather than jealousy. Scored for two sopranos and tenor, this secular Italian part-song is ideal for an intimate chamber choir seeking to explore the lighter, more graceful side of Renaissance vocal music.