In musical style, smooth and graceful; performed with elegant, flowing movement.
From Italian and French 'galante,' derived from the same root as 'galant,' meaning elegant or stylish. In music, it came to describe the graceful compositional style of the 18th century.
'Galante' became the defining style of 18th-century European music—think of pieces that sound light, pretty, and elegant rather than dramatic—and composers like Haydn and Mozart used it to create music that was meant to entertain and delight rather than impress with difficulty.
Italian/Spanish variant of 'galant,' carries same gendered courtship history. Embedded assumption of male suitor pursuing female object of desire in aristocratic contexts.
Use as a neutral descriptor of polite, respectful conduct. Avoid when describing romantic pursuit as it reinforces gendered power dynamics.
["courteous","respectful","attentive","gracious"]
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