A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Canzona

by Ebenezer Prout

CANZONA (Ital.) The name of a particular variety of lyric poetry in the Italian style, and of Provençal origin, which closely resembled the madrigal. Musically, the term is applied (1) to the setting to music of the words of a canzona, whether for one or more voices, the only difference between the canzona and the madrigal being that the former was less strict in style. (2) The name was also given to an instrumental piece written in the style of a madrigal. An example of such a canzona, by Sebastian Bach, may be found in the fourth volume of Griepenkerl's edition of his organ works. (3) It appears to have been used as an equivalent for sonata for a piece of several movements; and also as a mark of time, in place of Allegro (Brossard).

[ E. P. ]