A Cappella Meaning in Singing from 601 Words

A cappella meaning as a technical terms in singing and music from 601 Words You Need to Know to Pass Your Exam. Learn the meaning of a cappella in authentic or real context with synonyms and illustrations.

/ˌæ.kəˈpel.ə/ (adj & adv)

A cappella meaning

(of music or singing) sung without any musical instruments in choir or a group of singers, by voice only, unaccompanied by musical instruments, (in Italian) in chapel style

Example

a cappella, (Italian: “in the church style”), is a type of performance of a polyphonic (multipart) musical work by unaccompanied voices. Originally referring to sacred choral music, the term now refers to secular music as well.

The a cappella style arose about the time of the composer Josquin des Prez, in the late 15th century, and reached preeminence with Palestrina in the late 16th century in the music that he wrote for the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican. Because no independent instrumental parts were written, later scholars assumed that the choir sang unaccompanied, but the evidence is now that an organ or other instruments exactly “doubled” some or several of the vocal parts.

Source of example: https://www.britannica.com/

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