Virelay in the context of "Rondeau (forme fixe)"

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⭐ Core Definition: Virelay

A virelai is a form of medieval French verse used often in poetry and music. It is one of the three formes fixes (the others were the ballade and the rondeau) and was one of the most common verse forms set to music in Europe from the late thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries.

One of the most famous composers of virelai is Guillaume de Machaut (c. 1300–1377), who also wrote his own verse; 33 separate compositions in the form survive by him. Other composers of virelai include Jehannot de l'Escurel, one of the earliest (d. 1304), and Guillaume Dufay (c. 1400–1474), one of the latest.

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Virelay in the context of Refrain

A refrain (from Vulgar Latin: refringere, "to repeat", through Old French: refraindre) is the line or lines that are repeated in poetry or in music—the "chorus" of a song. Poetic fixed forms that feature refrains include the villanelle, the virelay, and the sestina.

In popular music, the refrain or chorus may contrast with the verse melodically, rhythmically, and harmonically; it may assume a higher level of dynamics and activity, often with added instrumentation. Chorus form, or strophic form, is a sectional and/or additive way of structuring a piece of music based on the repetition of one formal section or block played

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← Refrain ← Chorus (song)
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
Medieval → French literature → Poetry → Music → Formes fixes → Ballade (forme fixe) → Rondeau (forme fixe) → Europe → Guillaume de Machaut → Jehan de Lescurel → Guillaume Dufay →