What is a madrigal?
Q: What is a madrigal?
A: A madrigal is a special kind of song for a small group of people to sing. It was popular in the 16th and 17th centuries during the Renaissance music and beginning of the Baroque periods. The words are always about secular (non-religious) things, such as love.
Q: Where did madrigals originate?
A: Madrigals originated in Italy and became very popular for a short time in England as well as in France.
Q: How many voices were used when writing madrigals?
A: Initially, madrigals were written for 2 or 3 voices but later they were written for 4 or 5 voices. These voices could be single voices (one person to each part) or several people singing together. Sometimes instruments would also play the lines, but usually they were sung unaccompanied.
Q: When did Italian composers start writing madrigals?
A: In 1533, Philippe Verdelot collected and published Primo libro di Madrigali (First Book of Madrigals), which made them very popular. Jacob Arcadelt then published several volumes that helped develop this form of music further.
Q: When was the peak period for popularity of madrigals in Italy?
A: The peak period for popularity of madrigals in Italy was between 1550 and 1630. In England it was from 1588 to 1620.
Q: What made people like madrigals so much?
A: People liked them because they were fun; composers often used word-painting techniques where the music sounded like what was being sung, such as quick notes with "smile" or long notes with "sigh". They also had verses and refrains that often ended with "fa la la la la". Lastly, they typically featured stories about shepherds and shepherdesses falling in love which added to their charm.
Q: Who are some important composers of madrigals from different countries?
A: Some important composers from Italy include Giovanni da Palestrina, Luca Marenzio, Jacques Arcadelt, Adrian Willaert, Cipriano de Rore, Carlo Gesualdo, Giaches de Wert and Claudio Monteverdi; William Byrd, Thomas Morley John Wilbye ,Thomas Weelkes ,John Dowland ,Orlando Gibbons ,and Thomas Tomkins from England; Orlando di Lasso ,Josquin des Prez from Franco-Flemish; Tomás Luis de Victoria ,Mateo Flecha from Spain
