noun

madrigal

MAD-ri-guhl

Madrigal (noun) means 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. Example: “The choir closed with a madrigal by Thomas Weelkes.”

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.

"The choir closed with a madrigal by Thomas Weelkes."

"Madrigals are sung one voice to a part, with no instruments."

A short lyric poem of the kind traditionally set to such music, typically pastoral and amorous.

"He wrote madrigals in the Italian manner."

How to Use Madrigal

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAn old song for a small group of singers with no instruments.

When to use it

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

Memory tip

The stress falls on the first syllable: MAD-ri-guhl.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

madrigal → motet glee → part-song

Common pairings

Elizabethan madrigal sing a madrigal madrigal choir Italian madrigal

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The choir closed with a _____ by Thomas Weelkes.

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.

Origin: Italian

Rhymes for madrigal

prodigal

See all rhymes for 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.