caccia
Caccia is an Italian noun meaning hunt or chase. In everyday use it denotes the act of pursuing game. The term also appears in music with a distinct historical sense. In Renaissance and early Baroque contexts, a caccia (plural cacce) is a polyphonic form or technique in which voices engage in imitation that mimics a chase. Typically two or more voices enter in close imitation, creating a round- or canon-like texture; the practice often features a lively tempo and continuous motion, with an ostinato or repetitive figure underpinning the counterpoint. The evocative idea of a chase informs both the melodic contour and rhythmic drive, producing a sense of pursuit as the voices outline a motive that keeps returning and intersecting. Caccias appear in madrigals, sacred works, and occasional instrumental pieces, spanning late 16th to early 17th centuries; though exact implementations vary, the characteristic pursuit-like dialogue remains common.
In other domains, caccia appears as a general metaphor for hunting scenes in art and literature. In
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