Senti bel sol, deh senti

This cantata, from an important manuscript in Berlin containing 18 Albinoni cantatas for soprano and continuo, is on the familiar subject of the separation of lovers. The protagonist is the male lover about to depart, who expresses pain at leaving his beloved, promises to remain true to her and finally begs her to dry her tears since he is confident that, somehow, they will be reunited. Unusually for Albinoni, there are three arias, the third of which is dance-like in the composer's best faux-naïf vein. The first aria is noteworthy for its vigorous bass line, whose jagged quality contrasts strongly with the smoothness of the vocal line.