Serenade

Origin

French sérénade, from Italian serenata, from sereno clear, calm (of weather), from Latin serenus serene

• 1649

Definitions

• 1a : a complimentary vocal or instrumental performance; especially : one given outdoors at night for a woman being courted

b : a work so performed

• 2: an instrumental composition in several movements, written for a small ensemble, and midway between the suite and the symphony in style

Description

In music, a serenade (or sometimes serenata) is a musical composition, and/or performance, in someone's honor. Serenades are typically calm, light music.

In the oldest usage, which survives in informal form to the present day, a serenade is a musical greeting performed for a lover, friend, person of rank or other person to be honored. The classic serenade usage would be from a lover to his lady love through a window. It was considered an evening piece, one to be performed on a quiet and pleasant evening, as opposed to an aubade, which would be performed in the morning. The custom of serenading in this manner began in the Medieval era, and the word "serenade" as commonly used in current English is related to this custom. Music performed followed no one particular form, except that it was typically sung by one person accompanying himself on a portable instrument, most likely a guitar, lute or other plucked instrument. Works of this type also appeared in later eras, but usually in a context that referred specifically to a past time, such as an arias in an opera (there is a famous example in Mozart's Don Giovanni). Carl Maria von Weber composed his serenade for voice and guitar, Horch'! Leise horch', Geliebte! (1809).[1]