The Trecento-Madrigal is an Italian musical form of the 14th century (ca. 1300 – 1370). It was a composition for two (and rarely three) voices, typically on a pastoral subject. In its earliest development it was simple construction: Francesco da Barberino in 1300 called it a "raw and chaotic singalong". In its later stages of development the uppermost voice was often highly elaborate, with the lower voice, the tenor, much less so. The form at this time was probably a development of connoisseurs, and sung by small groups of cognoscenti; there is no evidence of its widespread popularity, unlike the later kind of madrigal. By the end of the 14th century it had fallen out of favor, with other forms (for example the ballata, the virelai, the rondeau) taking precedence, some of which were even more highly refined and ornamented. The center of musical activity apparently moved at this time from northern Italy to France, particularly Avignon.

By the beginning of 15th century the term was no longer used musically. The later 16th century madrigal is unrelated, although it often used texts written in the 14th century (for instance by Petrarch).

Important composers of the Trecento-Madrigal are:

• Jacopo da Bologna
• Giovanni da Cascia
• Maestro Piero
• Lorenzo da Firenze
• Francesco Landini

References and further reading

• Richard H. Hoppin, Medieval Music. New York, W.W. Norton & Co., 1978. ISBN 0393090906
• Harold Gleason and Warren Becker, Music in the Middle Ages and Renaissance (Music Literature Outlines Series I). Bloomington, Indiana. Frangipani Press, 1986. ISBN 089917034X