Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina facts for kids

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (born around 1525 – died February 2, 1594) was a famous Italian composer. He lived during the late Renaissance period. Palestrina is known as one of the most important composers of the late 1500s in Europe.

He is especially famous for his church music. He wrote over 105 masses and more than 250 motets. His music greatly influenced how church music and other music developed in Europe. He was very important for the style called counterpoint. Many people see Palestrina as the perfect example of a Catholic composer. His style is still admired today.

Biography
Music
- Overview of His Music
- The "Palestrina Style"
Reputation
Images for kids
See also

Biography

Palestrina was born in a town called Palestrina, near Rome, Italy. This was in 1525. His parents were Santo and Palma Pierluigi. His mother passed away when he was 10 years old.

He first visited Rome in 1537. He was a singer in the choir at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. This helped him learn about music and literature. In 1540, he moved to Rome to study music. He learned from teachers like Claude Goudimel. He spent most of his life working in Rome.

Palestrina grew up learning a music style from northern Europe. This style was called polyphony. Famous composers like Guillaume Du Fay and Josquin des Prez brought this style to Italy. Orlande de Lassus also helped shape Palestrina's early music style.

From 1544 to 1551, Palestrina worked as an organist. He played at the Palestrina Cathedral in his hometown. In 1551, Pope Julius III gave him an important job. He became the music director, or maestro di cappella, of the Cappella Giulia. This was the choir at St. Peter's Basilica.

Palestrina gave his first published music to Pope Julius III in 1554. It was a book of Masses. This was special because most church music composers in Italy at that time were from other countries.

In 1555, Pope Paul IV said that all papal choir members had to be priests. Palestrina was married and had four children. So, he could not continue in the choir as a non-priest.

Facade of St John Lateran, Rome, where Palestrina was musical director

For the next ten years, Palestrina worked at other churches in Rome. These included St. John Lateran and Santa Maria Maggiore. In 1571, he returned to the Julian Chapel. He stayed at St Peter's for the rest of his life.

The 1570s were a hard time for him. He lost his brother, two sons, and his wife, Lucrezia Gori. They all died from the plague in different years. He thought about becoming a priest. But instead, he married again. His new wife, Virginia Dormoli, was wealthy. This gave him financial freedom. He was then able to compose a lot of music until he died.

Palestrina died in Rome on February 2, 1594. He was buried on the same day at St. Peter's Basilica. His tomb was later covered by new construction. People have not been able to find his grave since then.

Two Italian composers, Giovanni Maria Nanino and Gregorio Allegri, continued his musical style. They were his students.

Music

Overview of His Music

Palestrina wrote hundreds of musical pieces. He composed 105 masses. He also wrote 68 offertories and over 300 motets. He created at least 140 madrigals.

He also wrote 72 hymns, 35 magnificats, and 11 litanies. He wrote four or five sets of lamentations. A melody from his Magnificat Tertii Toni is still used today. It is part of the resurrection hymn tune, Victory.

Palestrina had mixed feelings about madrigals. These were songs set to non-religious poems. In one book, he said he would not set non-religious texts to music. But just two years later, he published another book of secular madrigals. He published two collections of madrigals with non-religious texts. The other two collections were spiritual madrigals. These were popular during the Counter-Reformation.

His masses show how his music style changed over time. His Missa sine nomine was very important to Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach studied and performed it. Most of Palestrina's masses were printed in 13 volumes. These were published between 1554 and 1601. The last seven books came out after he died.

Missa Papae Marcelli – Kyrie

One of his most famous works is the Missa Papae Marcelli (Pope Marcellus Mass). There is a common story about this mass. The story says he wrote it to convince the Council of Trent not to ban complex church music. However, this story is not true. The mass was written before the Council discussed the ban. The Council of Trent never actually banned any church music. These stories came from unofficial talks and rumors.

Palestrina's music style stayed the same from the 1560s until his death. He focused on making the text clear to hear. This was not because of any church rule. It was part of his own style. His music often matched the mood of the church service. It used different modes and vocal groups for expression.

There are two large collections of all Palestrina's works. One was published in Germany. The other was published in Rome, Italy.

The "Palestrina Style"

Portrait of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, 16th century

A key feature of Palestrina's music is how he used dissonances. Dissonances are notes that sound a bit clashing. He usually put them on the "weak" beats in the music. This made his music sound smoother and more pleasant. This style is now seen as the classic sound of late Renaissance music.

The "Palestrina style" is often taught in music schools. It is based on rules written by Johann Joseph Fux in 1725. Fux used Palestrina as his example. He divided counterpoint into five "species." These were exercises for students to learn. They showed how to combine voices in music. Fux's method was very popular. It helped teach counterpoint in the 1800s.

Fux's rules simplified Palestrina's style a bit. Later experts like Knud Jeppesen improved them. But the main idea was correct. Palestrina's music followed a clear set of rules for polyphony. Johann Sebastian Bach liked Fux's book. Bach even arranged two of Palestrina's masses.

Here are some basic rules Palestrina followed:

Music should flow smoothly.
Melodies should not have many big jumps between notes.
If there is a jump, it should be small. It should also be followed by a step in the opposite direction.
Dissonances should be used carefully. They should be on weak beats or resolved quickly.

Palestrina also made sure his music matched the words. The musical phrases followed the meaning of the sentences. He also used "tone painting." This means the music would reflect the words. For example, descending notes for words like descendit (descends). Or calm music for words like de coelis (from heaven).

Reputation

Palestrina, presenting his masses to Pope Julius III, 1554

Palestrina was very famous during his lifetime. His fame and influence grew even more after he died. Johann Sebastian Bach studied and copied Palestrina's first book of Masses. Bach even wrote his own version of parts of Palestrina's Missa sine nomine.

Felix Mendelssohn, another great composer, thought highly of Palestrina. He said, "I always get upset when some praise only Beethoven, others only Palestrina and still others only Mozart or Bach. All four of them, I say, or none at all."

Many composers of the Roman school continued to write in Palestrina's style. This style became known as the prima pratica. His students, like Giovanni Maria Nanino and Gregorio Allegri, carried on his work. Even in the 1750s, composers still looked to Palestrina's style.

In the 1800s, Giuseppe Baini did a lot of research on Palestrina. He published a book in 1828. This book made Palestrina famous again. It also strengthened the idea that he was the "Saviour of Church Music." This was linked to the reforms of the Council of Trent.

Today, experts still see Palestrina as a very skilled composer. His music shows great technical perfection. Modern studies show how his music used different sounds and colors. He also paid close attention to how the music fit the words. These special qualities make Palestrina's work still appealing today.

The music school in Cagliari, Italy, is named after him. In 2009, a German TV channel made a film about him. It was called Palestrina - Prince of Music.