Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni

Lontan da te, mia vita

This cantata, from an important manuscript in Berlin containing 18 Albinoni cantatas for soprano and continuo, is on the subject of the lover's separation from his (or it could be her) beloved, one of the most recurrent themes in the Baroque cantata. An introductory recitative expressing the pain of separation is followed by an extended aria in slow tempo that is among Albinoni's most accomplished and is remarkable for its modulations to distant keys. After a second recitative, which ends with a vivid evocation of Cupid's dart, we arrive at the lover's second aria, which is more tranquil in mood than the first, since he (or she) now looks forward to the expected reunion.