art song

plural art songs · alternative art-song

1. entertainmentA vocal music composition, usually written for one voice with piano accompaniment.

   "Art song" is our answer to the German Lied or the French mélodie, which implies a through-written recital song as distinct from a chanson. A definition is required, and especially so for American song, because when all is said and done […]

   1986, Alan Blyth, Song on Record:, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 246

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   Although effective rendition of an art song requires great skill on the part of the singer, virtuosity for its own sake is generally eschewed. Hence one seldom finds florid passages or excessive ornamentation. This is especially true of the French […]

   1980, Barbara Meister, An introduction to the art song, Crescendo

   While their worth is unquestionable, these arias do not equate in form or intention with the classically defined art song. Yet, art song does exist in Italy in a large body of works known as liriche da camera — compositions for solo voice and piano […]

   1989, Ruth C. Lakeway, Robert Charles White, Italian Art Song