madrigal

What is another word for madrigal? Here is its meaning, with related words and examples.

Noun — A short song for several unaccompanied voices, each singing an independent line, usually setting a secular poem about love or nature. The form flourished in Italy and England in the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.

We haven't recorded synonyms for madrigal yet. You can still read its full definition, where it comes from, or words that rhyme with it.

How to use madrigal

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

Elizabethan madrigal sing a madrigal madrigal choir Italian madrigal

A music and literature term. A madrigal group or madrigal choir is a small ensemble that specialises in this repertoire.

Etymology

From Italian madrigale, probably from Late Latin matricalis, meaning of the womb or mother and hence in the mother tongue, that is, sung in the vernacular rather than in Latin.

Full origin of madrigal →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a madrigal and a motet?

A madrigal sets a secular text, usually in the vernacular, and is sung one voice to a part without accompaniment. A motet sets a sacred text, historically in Latin, and belongs to church music. Both are polyphonic, but the subject matter and setting differ.

Are madrigals sung without instruments?

Traditionally yes, a cappella and one singer to each line, which is what gives the form its transparent texture. Instruments sometimes doubled or replaced voices in performance, particularly in Italy, but the writing assumes voices alone.

Nearby words

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