Composers
Monteverdi
Palestrina
di Lasso
Hassler
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Madrigal
A secular song for unaccompanied
soloists, in which imitation between the voices is prominent.
In the beginning of the 14th century, composers in Italy started writing
madrigals. The blind madrigalist Francesco
Landini
was among the first composers identified with this particular genre. There
is much dispute over the source of the name "madrigal", and several
explanations, among which is "German
shepherd songs (mandriali)" or "songs
in the mother tongue (matricale)". The madrigal, as opposed to choir
songs of its time, was not based on a pre-given voice (cantus
firmus).
In the 16th century, after a period
of some decline, the madrigal reappeared as a vocal
contrapuntal
polyphonic form of secular content (the motet
was its religious parallel). Madrigals of
that time were written for popular poems about love and affection. Palestrina
(who wrote religious madrigals, too), Orlando
di Lasso,
Gesualdo
and Monteverdi
were among the madrigalists of this century.
There were others, outside of Italy
(such as Hassler
in Germany and
Victoria
in Spain)
who composed in this field.
Madrigals used renaissance
modes,
for the major-minor system was not yet set as the main methodology in customary
scales for composition.
The madrigal's religious brother-form is the
motet
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