VILLANELLA

secular Italian composition of the Renaissance, usually for three voices, with no characteristic stanzaic design or poetic form other than a refrain. The villanella was most often written in chordal style with clear, simple rhythm. Traditional rules of composition were sometimes broken; for instance, the normally forbidden movement of voices in parallel fifths was common in the villanella. The villanella was not a folk form but a reaction against the more refined madrigal, often parodying well-known madrigal texts and music. The villanella originated in Naples and hence was also called villanella alla napoletana. Although some villanelle appeared earlier, the form was most important during the second half of the 16th century, maintaining its popularity until c. 1700. The earliest master of the villanella was Giovan Tommaso di Maio (d. c. 1550); its most important composer was Gian Domenico da Nola (d. 1592). Villanelle in more artistic style were written by such major composers of madrigals as Adriaan Willaert, Orlando di Lasso, and Luca Marenzio. The villanella was closely related to several other light vocal forms, including the mascherata, moresca, greghesca, and giustiniana.