ricercar
Americannoun
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Music. a chiefly polyphonic instrumental form of the 16th and 17th centuries closely resembling the vocal motet in structure and style.
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a composition, especially for a keyboard instrument, having this form.
Etymology
Origin of ricercar
First recorded in 1780–90; apocopated variant of ricercare
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But not as amazed as when the king received, a few weeks later, a written-out fugue, or ricercar, based on the supposedly impossible theme, this time in six parts.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
This six-part ricercar is still, to this day, considered by musicians and composers the greatest, most complex feat of counterpoint of all time.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
