This charming piece is a frottola, the musical form that was a

precursor both to the madrigal and to the recitative with continuo.

While it does not adhere exactly to the frottola form (the stanzas

have seven lines each, not six, and the refrain has five lines, not

four), the way that the textual rhythm leads the musical rhythm

and the chordal structure are typical of the genre.

The work is written for four parts, sometimes taken by four singers,

sometimes by one singer and instruments. Again we see the transition

to the madrigal form with the melody in the upper lines, not

the tenor lines.

The text is in a neo-classical style, on the theme "one cannot truly

change one's nature." It is peppered with examples, such as "even

an ornamented saddle shackles a fine horse, " "a pig stays in the sty, "

and leads up to the singer declaring constant love for a cruel

beloved. The melody and rhythm are charming and perfectly suited

to the semi-serious text.

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