Question

The English madrigal is characterized by?

Answer 1

The English Madrigal School was the brief but intense flowering of the musical madrigal in England, mostly from 1588 to 1627, along with the composers who produced them. The English madrigals were a cappella, predominantly light in style, and generally began as either copies or direct translations of Italian models.

Answer 2

The English madrigal specifically is characterized by:

a focus on music vs. lyrics

a focus on subjects other than love (as compared to the Italian madrigal and its influence by Petrarch, who wrote love sonnets)

the use of poetry that was meant to be set to music

the combination of English musical traditions with the Italian madrigal, an import to England

In general, the madrigal as a musical style is characterized by:

an a cappella singing style

the use of multiple voices ranging from two voices to eight voices

the use of secular subjects in the lyrics

the use of poetry that is arranged to music

their being featured in madrigal dinners, a Renaissance themed dinner that is done by American churches and schools, as part of the entertainment

in modern times, the use of popular songs as part of the repertoire