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Madrigal

Form
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

An Italian secular vocal composition of the Renaissance, typically setting a short lyric poem for multiple voices

Detailed Definition
A madrigal is a secular vocal composition, originally Italian Renaissance in origin, adapted into short lyrical poems marked by intricate word-painting, emotional intensity, and polyphonic structure; poetic madrigals often explore love, nature, or fleeting beauty with refined musicality and expressive diction.
Example
Example in poetry:
Madrigal: Renaissance polyphonic song-poem; “Fair Phyllis I saw sitting all alone” (Weelkes); “Nature imagery with amorous twist” (thematic); “Short, lyrical, often pastoral” (formal)

Monteverdi’s setting of Guarini’s “Ballo delle ingrate”; Thomas Weelkes’s “As Vesta Was from Latmos Hill Descending”; Luca Marenzio’s “Solo e pensoso”; John Dowland’s “Flow My Tears” (though English, in madrigal style)
Additional Notes
Short lyric for several voices, often about love or pastoral themes. Italian origin; popular in Renaissance England. Related: part-song, musical poetry. Set to music contrapuntally; influenced sonnet development.

Madrigale: Italian for madrigal—a short, polyphonic secular song or poem of the Renaissance, often about love; closely tied to Italian love song (10138) and Renaissance vocal poem (10139).
Also Known As
Italian love song Renaissance vocal poem Madrigale Unaccompanied song Italian polyphonic song Renaissance secular lyric Amorous vocal piece
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