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"Come sing to me a bawdy song, make me merry." —FALSTAFF, IN WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE' S HENRY IV, PART 1

Key Points

  • The Renaissance saw a rise in amateur music-making and in secular music (French chansons and the Italian and English madrigals).
  • Instrumental dance music was played by professional and amateur musicians, who often added embellishments.
  • The madrigal originated in Italy as a form of aristocratic entertainment.
  • Monteverdi was a master of the Italian madrigal and of expressive devices such as word painting.
  • The English madrigal was often simpler and lighter in style than its Italian counterpart.

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