Definition

Noun: 1. A polyphonic choral composition on a sacred text: A motet is a piece of unaccompanied vocal music, typically with multiple independent melodic lines (polyphony), set to a religious Latin text. It is a significant form of Western classical music. 2. A musical work for church services: Historically, motets were composed specifically for use within Christian liturgical services, though later ones were also performed in secular settings.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The choir performed a 16th-century motet by Palestrina during the mass.
  • Scholars study the motet to understand the development of polyphony in the Renaissance.
  • The text of the motet was taken from the Psalms.

Advanced Usage

• "Isorhythmic motet": A specific type of motet from the Medieval period where a repeating rhythmic pattern (the ) is used in one or more voice parts, independent of the repeating melodic pattern (the ).
  • Machaut's isorhythmic motets are masterpieces of structural complexity.

Variants and Related Words

• Motet-like (adj): Having characteristics similar to a motet.
  • The composer's choral work had a motet-like texture and solemnity.

Synonyms

• Choral composition
• Sacred madrigal (Note: A madrigal is typically secular, but the structure can be similar)
• Polyphonic hymn

Different Meanings / Contexts

• In a strict historical context, a motet specifically refers to unaccompanied vocal music with a sacred Latin text from the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque eras.
• In a broader, modern context, the term can sometimes be applied to later choral works with a sacred text, even if they are accompanied by instruments or use a vernacular language, though this is not the original definition.

Noun

1. an unaccompanied choral composition with sacred lyrics; intended to be sung as part of a church service; originated in the 13th century