Battaglia

(It.)

A name used in the 16th-18th centuries for pieces describing a battle. They might be vocal (e.g. Janequin's La guerre) or instrumental (e.g. Byrd's The Battell), and often included imitations of gunfire and other such effects. Among orchestral battle-pieces of the early 19th century is Beethoven's Wellingtons Sieg or ‘Battle Symphony’, in which various national anthems are heard.