This canzone is quite extraordinary, with two groups of two 7-course lutes, a "corista" (perhaps a lute in A) and a "tenore" (perhaps a lute in E) that interweave and echo each other with plenty of dramatic stereo effects. In my opinion, it was designed to imitate antiphony with the two lute groups meant to be fairly far apart, perhaps on opposite sides of a church or theater. So, not only is the writing virtuosic in the corista parts, but the structure is intentionally dramatic,  with plenty of what we might call today sound effects. We do not know whether the piece was commissioned and performed for a special occasion but because of its highly unusual character, I would think it probably was and that the spatial characteristics of the place of performance became a structural frame for the piece together with the vocal tradition that obviously inspires it -- This vocal "model" is so far as I know unknown or inexistant, but it would have to have been Terzi's composition since he gives himself as the composer rather than the intabulator. Please let me know if you can trace it somewhere.

Writing such a piece for 4 lutes was definitely a superior achievement in terms of composition, not to mention a fun challenge for the players. Its position at the end of his second and last published collection of pieces for the lute would tend to indicate that the canzone held a special significance for Terzi, a sort of testament or crowning achievement as a composer and virtuoso player.

 There are very few known details about Terzi's life. He is mentioned as a much appreciated musician, one whose voice emulated the harmony of the heavens, and whose lute playing competed with that of the Angels, in 1664 by Donato Calvi, author of Scena letteraria de gli scrittori bergamaschi aperta alla cvriosità de svoi concittadini. 

Note: Calvi is wrong on the date of publication of Terzi's first book. It should be 1593, not 1613. 

This collection includes a transcription of the canzone with 8 voices for four lutes, both in combined format and with individual parts in the PDF, a "facsimile copy of the piece from the 1599 Libro secondo d'Intavolatura di liuto also in PDF format, as well as the DjangoTab file (see top of this page).