ricercar

American  

[ree-cher-kahr] / ˌri tʃərˈkɑr /

Also ricercata

noun

1. Music. a chiefly polyphonic instrumental form of the 16th and 17th centuries closely resembling the vocal motet in structure and style.

2. 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

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