The ''petit motet'' ("little motet") was a genre of domestic sacred chamber music popular in France during the baroque era. It was the sacred counterpart of the secular
cantata
A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir.
The meaning of ...
, and small-scale counterpart of the ''
grand motet The grand motet (plural grands motets) was a genre of motet cultivated at the height of the French Baroque music, French baroque, although the term dates from later French usage. At the time, due to the stylistic feature of employing two alternating ...
.''
[''Motets for one and two voices with instruments'' p.viii François Martin (composer), Mary Cyr - 1988 "The petit motet represented a sacred counterpart to the fashionable cantata, and like the latter, it absorbed considerable foreign influence, especially from Italy. French composers often attempted to popularize their publications by ..."]
References
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Baroque music