Palestrina, Giovanni, << `pal` uhs TREE nuh or `pah` lay STREE nah, joh VAHN nee >> (1525?-1594), was one of the greatest composers of the Italian Renaissance. For the Roman Catholic Church, Palestrina wrote about 250 unaccompanied choral works called motets, and 93 masses. Two of his most famous works are the mass called Missa Papae Marcelli (about 1562) and his setting of the Stabat Mater (about 1563). He also composed unaccompanied nonreligious choral pieces called madrigals. The most famous is Vestiva i colli (1566).
Palestrina was a master of the polyphonic style of music, in which each voice has a separate melody. In his music, the voices imitate each other in graceful melodic curves, maintaining a steady rhythm. For contrast, the choir sometimes sings together in chords.
Palestrina took his name from his birthplace, the town of Palestrina, near Rome. His full name was Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. From 1571 until his death, he was music director of the Julian Chapel at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Palestrina died on Feb. 2, 1594.
