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Fig.1: Four
singers singing round a table. Woodcut, Höltzel, 1516.
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Madrigal
(General)
Apolyphonic musical setting of poetry in the vernacular, originally in Italian,
later also in English and, much more rarely, in German and other languages.
[Example 1: 16th-century madrigal]
Madrigal is a musical genre: a polyphonic musical setting of poetry in a vernacular language, originally in Italian, but also later in English and, much more rarely, German and other languages. The name was first applied in the 14th century, and again in the 16th and 17th centuries. In both instances the genre was conceived for solo voices alone -- without instruments -- even though it was not always performed in that way.
There is no direct connection between the 14th-century madrigal repertory and that of the 16th and 17th centuries. (The madrigal ceased to exist between about 1420 and 1530.) Both the poetry set and the musical styles differ greatly between the earlier and later periods.
For further information on these two repertories, see the following entries:
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Visual & Sound Materials from the Gabe M. Wiener Music & Arts Library of Columbia University | |
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Madrigal written by:
Leeman Perkins Recording & Mixing: Terry Pender & Douglas Geers |
Narration:
Thomas Payne Technology & Design: Maurice Matiz |