Marc-Antoine Charpentier was unusual among his French contemporaries in setting a significant number of Italian texts, of which two of the most substantial are a pair of pastoralettes, ‘Amor vince ogni cosa’ and ‘Cupido dentr’al mio cuor’.

‘Amor vince ogni cosa’, a cantata-like work on the theme ‘true love conquers all’, nicely illustrates Charpentier’s integration of innovative Italian features into an essentially French musical style. Scored for five solo voices, two treble instruments and continuo, the work is also suitable for performance by larger forces.