Palestrina, Giovanni Pierluigi da - St. Martin's Chamber Choir · Giovanni Pierluigi, he ... set;...

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Page 1: Palestrina, Giovanni Pierluigi da - St. Martin's Chamber Choir · Giovanni Pierluigi, he ... set; his contrapuntal lines are elegantly balanced. Palestrina’s counterpoint ... Palestrina,

GiovanniPierluigidaPalestrina(b.1524or1525,Palestrina,Italy;d.1594,Rome)

BornGiovanniPierluigi,helateraddedthenameofhisnativetowntohissurname.Thefirstknownmusicalfactabout“Giannetto”isthathewenttoRometostudysingingataroundage13.Heislistedin1537asamemberoftheCappellaLiberianaatSantaMariaMaggiore.HebecameorganistattheCathedralofPalestrinaandwaslaterappointeddirectorofthePontificalChoirintheJulianChapelatSt.Peter’sinRome.

Palestrinawasprimarilyacomposerofmassesandsacredmotets.HismusicisoftenreferredtoastheperfectexampleofRenaissancereligiouscompositionbecauseofthedegreetowhichheeliminatedsecularelementsinhissacredwriting.Manyofhismassesuseplainchant,whichhesometimesfollowedexactlyandothertimesmodifiedinuniqueways.Hiswritingisclearandserene,withtextsexpressivelyset;hiscontrapuntallinesareelegantlybalanced.Palestrina’scounterpointremainsamodelformusicstudentstoday.

Likemanycomposersofhisday,PalestrinaadheredtothedictatesoftheCouncilofTrent.Hemaintainedhisownvoice,though.IndedicatingasetofmotetstoPopeGregoryXIII,Palestrinasaid“IhaveusedakindofmusicsomewhatlivelierthanIhavebeenaccustomedtouseinchurchmusic,forthisIfeltthatthesubjectitselfdemanded.”Thiscomposer'sworksinSt.Martin'sChamberChoir'srepertoire:DoctorbonusMissaPapaeMarcelliOquantusluctusStabatMater