Definition

1. Noun:

   • A type of secular vocal music composition: A madrigal is an unaccompanied partsong, typically for two or three voices, that follows a strict poetic form. It was especially popular during the Renaissance and early Baroque periods.

2. Verb:

   • To sing madrigals: The act of performing this specific type of vocal music.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • The choir performed a beautiful 16th-century Italian madrigal.
  • He is studying the complex harmonies of the English madrigal.

• Verb:

  • The ensemble madrigals every Thursday evening.
  • They were madrigaling in the courtyard, their voices blending perfectly.

Advanced Usage

• Historical/Literary Context: The term is often used to refer specifically to the polyphonic secular songs of the 16th and early 17th centuries, which set poetry to music with expressive word-painting.
  • The madrigal "Il bianco e dolce cigno" is a masterpiece of the form.

Variants and Related Words

• Madrigalian (adj): Pertaining to or characteristic of a madrigal.
  • The piece had a distinctly madrigalian texture.

Synonyms

• Partsong: A song written in parts for several voices.
• Secular motet: A non-religious polyphonic vocal composition (a close historical relative).

Related Phrases

• To sing a madrigal: The most common phrase for the act of performing one.
  • The group gathered to sing a madrigal.

Noun

1. an unaccompanied partsong for 2 or 3 voices; follows a strict poetic form

Verb

1. sing madrigals
   • The group was madrigaling beautifully