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motet Definition

mo·tet (mō tet′)

noun

Music a contrapuntal, polyphonic song of a sacred nature, generally unaccompanied

Etymology: OFr dim. of mot, a word: see mot

motet Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • sing: Our main engagement was to sing motets at Mass at the Abbaye-aux-Hommes ( left ).
  • write: O Magnum Mysterium belongs to a set of four Christmas motets written in 1952.
  • compose: Earlier in life, he had composed motets using texts that were easily read as political statements about the Catholic situation.
  • include: Renaissance polyphony plays an important role and includes motets by a range of European composers.
  • contain: The central layer of each of those partbooks contains motets for two voices by Sances, copied by Charles Husbands Sr. In Mus.

Preposition: for

  • voice: In the Dunkeld Music Book is an anonymous motet for eight voices, Te Sanctum Dominum.

Adjective modifier

  • isorhythmic: There are isorhythmic motets here, celebratory anthems, movements from the mass, and a wonderful range of compositional techniques on display.
  • 40-part: In fact it is possible that Tallis's great 40-part motet, Spem in Alium was composed for Queen Mary's 40 th birthday.
  • Latin: The Latin motets are in four voice parts, the others in three.
  • French: Dr. Lisa Colton traveled up to the University of Aberdeen to give a paper at their research seminar, relating to 13th-century French motets.
  • secular: The phenomenon of the secular Latin motet will be addressed from cultural, historical and musical perspectives.
  • other: By contrast with many of the other motets in this program, the two choirs have either extended solo sections or are used together.

Modifies a noun

  • O: His motet O quam gloriosum ( ' O how glorious is the Kingdom ' ) is one such example.
  • convivium: Tallis's motet O sacrum convivium actually started life as an instrumental fantasia.
  • sacrum: Tallis's motet O sacrum convivium actually started life as an instrumental fantasia.
  • setting: Absterge Domine was evidently one of Tallis's most popular and enduring motet settings.

Noun used with modifier

  • part: In November 2002, we gave a concert of music by Thomas Tallis, including Spem in Alium, his famous 40 part motet.
  • petits: Charpentier's petits motets reveal the composer's penchant for the Italian style.
  • grand: The use of the petit choeur in Du Mont's grands motets.
  • psalm: Parsons, like William Byrd a Roman Catholic, showed the influence of the psalm motet and votive antiphon in his work.