I picked up a copy of Leopardi’s ‘Canti’ years ago while specifically looking for a text to set to music. I was really struck by the jarring shifts in mood that are present in a lot of his work, which sometimes make reading it an unsettling experience. I found his descriptions of nature particularly evocative, especially when used to try to make sense of the darker aspects of humanity. After listening, I hope that the audience is able to take a few moments to reflect on the fleeting nature of feelings, both positive and negative. Life is made up of moments and some moments, like this music and poetry, are neither happy nor sad, but some combination of both.