a composition in simple and idyllic style suggesting rural scenes
a forerunner of opera consisting of a dramatic performance on an idyllic subject with incidental music
See pastorale in American Heritage Dictionary 4
(păsˌtə-rälˈ, -rălˈ, -räˈlē, päˌstə-)
nounpl.pas·to·ra·li(-räˈlē) or pas·to·rales
An instrumental or vocal composition with a tender melody in a moderately slow rhythm, suggestive of traditional shepherds' music and idyllic rural life.
A dramatic performance or opera, popular in the 16th and 17th centuries, that was based on a rural theme or subject.