motet

A motet is a polyphonic vocal composition, usually for two or more voices, set to a sacred Latin text, though secular forms also existed. The name derives from the French mot, meaning “word,” reflecting the practice of adding a new text to an existing melodic line.

Medieval motets arose in 12th- and 13th-century France from the organum tradition of the Notre Dame school. They began as voices singing a newly composed text above a pre-existing chant or cantus firmus in the lower voice. Over time, multiple voices could carry independent texts, and rhythmic notation developed. The medieval motet was a highly contrapuntal and formal genre that helped advance polyphonic vocabulary.

Renaissance motet, spanning roughly from 1450 to 1600, became a principal sacred choral genre across Europe. It was typically a stand-alone Latin text not tied to the liturgical proper of the Mass. Composers such as Josquin des Prez, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, and Orlande de Lassus expanded imitative polyphony, refined text setting, and used four or more voices. The use of cantus firmus, paraphrase techniques, and careful alignment of linguistic meaning with musical texture characterized the period.

Baroque motets continued to be written, often with instrumental accompaniment or continuo, and by composers such as Heinrich Schütz and Johann Sebastian Bach. In some cases the term also described dramatic sacred choral pieces, though the form gradually gave way to cantatas and oratorios in many regions. Across periods, motets are defined by their focus on religious or devotional texts, multi-voiced textures, and attentive text setting.