Madrigal
DEFINITION
Madrigal is a vocal music form that flourished in the Renaissance, originating in Italy. The<br> madrigal is generally written for four to six voices that may or may not be accompanied (in modern performance madrigals are usually presented a cappella). Madrigals are usually set to short love poems, though the words are occasionally about death, war, etc.; they were extremely popular in England and Italy, and also produced in France, Germany, and a few in Spain. The madrigal is characterized<br>by word painting and harmonic and rhythmic contrast. In the madrigal, each line has its own tune, rather than the entire composition having a single tune with harmonic accompaniment. <br>