▪ I. ‖ galant, a. and n. Mus.
(galɑ̃, gəˈlɑːnt)
[a. Fr. and G. galant (see gallant a. and n.).]
A. adj. Designating or pertaining to a light and elegant style of eighteenth-century music, esp. that of harpsichord composers, contrasted with baroque music. B. n. This style of music.
| 1949 Scrutiny XVI. 76 A coherently consistent style like classical baroque or Mozartian galant. 1953 Times Lit. Suppl. 20 Feb., The reinstatement of medieval, Baroque, or ‘galant’ conditions. 1959 D. Cooke Lang. Mus. v. 232 To their ears, nurtured on the normal ‘tasteful’ classical style of the galant and rococo periods, Mozart's exploitation of the expressive power of music..appeared to be wild and perverse experiments. |
▪ II. galant
obs. form of gallant.