chorale

/'kɔ:rəl/

Thân thiện

The choir sings a chorale during the Sunday service.

Definition

Noun: 1. A stately hymn tune, especially one associated with the German Protestant (Lutheran) church tradition. It is characterized by its simple, harmonized, and often four-part vocal setting. 2. A group of singers who perform such music; a choir or chorus. (This meaning is less common than the first and is often considered a variant of "chorus" or "choir").

Examples

• Noun (Hymn tune):
  • The congregation stood to sing the final chorale.
  • Bach's harmonizations of Lutheran chorales are masterpieces of sacred music.
  • The piece is based on a well-known chorale melody.

Advanced Usage

• Chorale Prelude: A musical composition for organ, primarily from the Baroque era, that uses a chorale melody as its basis. The composer elaborates on the tune before it is played or sung in its simple form.
  • Bach's "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme" is a famous chorale prelude.
• Chorale Cantata: A type of church cantata where the text and music are based on a single chorale.
  • Many of J.S. Bach's cantatas are structured as chorale cantatas.

Variants and Related Words

• Choral (Adjective): Relating to or sung by a choir or chorus.
  • She sings in a choral society.
• Choir (Noun): An organized group of singers, typically one that performs in a church or in public.
• Hymn (Noun): A religious song or poem of praise to God, typically of a metrical, strophic form for congregational singing.

Synonyms

• Hymn
• Psalm (specifically from the Book of Psalms)
• Chant

Notes on Meaning

The primary and most specific meaning of "chorale" is the first definition: a specific type of hymn tune with a particular historical and musical style. While it can sometimes refer to a singing group, this usage is less frequent and can be ambiguous. The related adjective is choral.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a stately Protestant (especially Lutheran) hymn tune

Từ đồng nghĩa

• choral