GIOVANNI PIERLUIGI DA PALESTRINA Italian Composer (1525-1594) Giovanni Pierluigi Da Palestrina free midi download

GIOVANNI PIERLUIGI DA PALESTRINA
1525 or 1526 --- 2^nd February 1594

Giovanni Pierluigi Da Palestrina Born 1525 Palestrina, Italy and takes his name from his birthplace, Palestrina, a little hill
town not too distant from Rome and Died 1594 Rome, Italy. The family name was Pierluigi, but was frequently omitted
in the writings of the composer, the name appearing as simply Giovanni Pierluigi Da Palestrina.

His exact birth date is unknown as the official birth records of Palestrina were destroyed by a fire in 1577. The composers
ancestors had provably lived for several generation in Palestrina, his father, Sante Pierluigi, owned a little land and a
home. Part of the house where the composer was born still stands and is marked with a plaque to designate it today.

Giovanni, as a boy, probably sang in the choir at the local cathedral, Saint Agapit. He later became the organist and the
choir director of the Palestrina cathedral. During his tenure there, he had married Lucrezia Gori and receiving as a dowry
household of goods, a vineyard, meadows, house and some cash. Two sons were born to the couple while they resided
quite comfortably in Palestrina.

After the Bishop of Palestrina was elevated to the Holy See, becoming Pope Julius III, he requested Giovanni to move to
Rome and appointed him director of Julian Chapel choir. His first book of masses (1544) was printed at the composer's
expense shortly after his move. The Roman Catholic Church started a counter reformation, a setting in order of its own
house. Much that was secular had crept into the music of the Church, and some authorities questioned whether it was
polyphonic settings of the Mass ensured the text beyond recognition.

Pope Julius III started some reforms which were carried on by his successor, Pope Marcellus II. The latter summoned
Papal Choir before him and directed that their music should be out "in a suitable manner with properly modulated voices
so everything could both heard understood". Palestrina seems to have been impressed with the artistic soundness of the
Pope's directive and the untimely death of the Pope three weeks later led the composer to write a Mass since known as
The pope Marcellus Mass.

Pope Pius IV had organized the Council of Trent to survey the practices of musicians in the various churches to determine
whether the plain song ought to be the only acceptable music. A false legend has arisen that the Council listened to The
Pope Marcellus Mass and thereby decided that polyphonic settings of the Mass could be used without obscuring the text.
The title "Palestrina Saviour of Church Music" was devised from this legend. Undoubtedly the Council did hear some of
the works of Palestrina, but officially they did little more than reiterate the statements of Pope Marcellus.

Pope Paul IV succeeded Marcellus and started a reform within the laws and rules of the church. he was surprised to then
discover that three married men, including Palestrina, served in the Papal Choir and they were immediately released.
Palestrina found a position teaching music at a seminary at the Church of St John Lateran in Rome for four years. Many of
his motets date from these years.

Between the years 1572 and 1580 an epidemic killed his two sons, two of his brothers, and his wife. Grief-stricken, he
applied for the priesthood, but before the year was out, he met the well to do widow of a successful furrier and married
her. In addition to managing the details relating to the fur business, he published before the year of his second marriage
and his death four books on masses, three books each of motets and madrigals, book of hymns and a book of magnificats.

Palestrina returned to service in the Julian Chapel under a more liberal Pope and served in that capacity until his death.
One of his duties on his return was to work on a revision of the plain song, a hopeless task. He tried to discover the
original melodies in use under Pope GStevenory and eliminate copyist's errors and later additions, but the records were
in such a bad condition that it was impossible to discover the original chants.

The nature of Palestrina final illness is unknown. His funeral service at St.Peter's was an acknowledgement of his stature
in the musical world. He was buried under the pavement in the New Chapel which was later covered over by the new St.
Peter's Cathedral, then in the process of being built. A later effort to locate Palestrina's remains was unsuccessful.
© From "Music Through the Centuries" by Nick Rossi & Sadie Rafferty.
Last Updated on 2017
By Steven Ritchie

And now for the Music

(2152)"Missa Pape Marcelli (Mass For 6 Voices) Kyrie". Sequenced by Robert Andreas Austin.
(2153)"Missa Pape Marcelli (Mass For 6 Voices) Gloria". Sequenced by Robert Andreas Austin.
(2154)"Missa Pape Marcelli (Mass For 6 Voices) Credo". Sequenced by Robert Andreas Austin.
(2155)"Missa Pape Marcelli (Mass For 6 Voices) Sanctus". Sequenced by Robert Andreas Austin.
(2156)"Missa Pape Marcelli (Mass For 6 Voices) Benedictus". Sequenced by Robert Andreas Austin.
(2157)"Missa Pape Marcelli (Mass For 6 Voices) Agnus Dei I". Sequenced by Robert Andreas Austin.
(2158)"Missa Pape Marcelli (Mass For 6 Voices) Agnus Dei II". Sequenced by Robert Andreas Austin.
Thanks to Emily Gray for the music below. Email (HappyMusician@opendiary.com)
(1875)"Esercizio Sopra La Scala". Sequenced by Emily Gray
(1878)"Ascendo ad Patrem, Motet". Sequenced by Brian M. Ames

(1876)"Alma Redemptors Mater". Sequencer Unknown
(1877)"Voi Mi Poneste in Foco". Sequencer Unknown

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