chanson

views updated Jun 08 2018

chanson (Fr.). Song set to Fr. words. A term with many applications, especially: (1) Any sort of simple verse-repeating song. (2) Type of song, for several vv. or for one v. with acc., that grew up in Fr. and north It. in 14th cent. and flourished until end of 16th—really a kind of early madrigal of the ‘ayre’ type. The chanson de geste was an heroic verse chronicle set to mus. of the 11th and 12th cents.

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