Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A song for two or three unaccompanied voices, developed in Italy in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.
- n. A short poem, often about love, suitable for being set to music.
- n. A polyphonic song using a vernacular text and written for four to six voices, developed in Italy in the 16th century and popular in England in the 16th and early 17th centuries.
- n. A part song.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A medieval poem or song, amorous, pastoral, or descriptive. The distinguishing characteristics of the madrigal are now hard to determine.
- n. In music
- n. A musical setting of such a poem. Strict madrigal-writing involves the use of a canto fermo, adherence to one of the ecclesiastical modes throughout, the abundant use of contrapuntal imitation in all its varieties, and the absence of instrumental accompaniment. This form of composition appeared in the Low Countries in the fifteenth century, and soon spread to Italy, Germany, France, and England. In Italy and England it attained a notable perfection and beauty, passing over in the latter country into the modern glee. Madrigals were written for from three to eight or more voices. The sentiments embodied varied from grave to gay, with a constant tendency to the latter. The choruses in the earlier operas and oratorios were madrigals.
- n. A glee or partsong in general, irrespective of contrapuntal qualities.
Wiktionary
- n. a song for a small number of unaccompanied voices; from 13th century Italy
- n. a polyphonic song for about six voices, from 16th century Italy
- n. a short poem, often pastoral, and suitable to be set to music
- n. madrigal
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A little amorous poem, sometimes called a
pastoral poem , containing some tender and delicate, though simple, thought. - n. An unaccompanied polyphonic song, in four, five, or more parts, set to secular words, but full of counterpoint and imitation, and adhering to the old church modes. Unlike the freer glee, it is best sung with several voices on a part. See Glee.
WordNet 3.0
- n. an unaccompanied partsong for 2 or 3 voices; follows a strict poetic form
- v. sing madrigals
Etymologies
- Italian madrigale, probably from dialectal madregal, simple, from Late Latin mātrīcālis, invented, original, from Latin, of the womb, from mātrīx, mātrīc-, womb, from māter, mātr-, mother; see mater.
Examples
“The madrigal is a piece of vocal music adapted to words of an amorous or cheerful cast, composed for four, five, or six voices, and intended for performance in convivial parties or private musical societies.”
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 19, No. 539, March 24, 1832
“A madrigal was a secular composition, generally devoted to love, but in polyphonic style, and in one of the ecclesiastical modes.”
A Popular History of the Art of Music From the Earliest Times Until the Present
“Although the madrigal was a highly sophisticated musico-poetic form featuring advanced harmonies and subtle texts of great literary value, it was, after all, a choral form meant for unstaged performance.”
“The popularity of such song-forms as the "madrigal," which was sung without musical accompaniment, made it easy for the public stage to cater to the prevalent taste.”
“I folded this kind of madrigal in prose, and sent it by Joseph, who handed it to Marguerite herself; she replied that she would send the answer later.”
“Though Claudio Cavina's fine group are best known for their recordings of the two greatest late-renaissance madrigal composers, Gesualdo and Monteverdi, they have not neglected the works of less celebrated 16th-century composers.”
The Guardian: Luzzaschi: Concerto della Dame: La Venexiana/Cavina – review
“I heard some of the people in my college sing Monteverdi's madrigal 'Lamento della Ninfa,' and I was moved to tears by it," he recalled.”
“The various Herzogian heroes are all avatars of a romantic subjectivity: the megalomaniac Kinski, the abused but powerfully dignified Bruno S, the murderous madrigal composer Gesualdo, Dieter Dengler who wants to fly but is shot down, revolutionary dwarves, child soldiers, hypnotised villagers . . .”
“Mr. Davis brings out all the wit and detail in Sullivan's orchestration, and he shapes the singing so that everything — from the delicate madrigal "Brightly dawns our wedding day" to the speedy ensemble patter that ends "I am so proud" to Katisha's grand opera arias — sounds authentic but new.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘madrigal’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
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Slam Fodder
Those words that will inevitable end up in a Slam Poem
feel free to challenge me!:)bumptious, gamekeeper, slamily, burbuliatorius, cryptomnesia, paradox, pulchritudinous, mimetic, anhedonia, skelf, rampike, furlough and 84 more...
milosrdenstvi sing, sing a merry madrigal May 4, 2009