CORO CORO Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina · Vol.3 PALESTRINA “The Sixteen’s Palestrina cycle may just be a classic in the Pierluigi Giovanni da making.” GRAMOPHONE cor16106 Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina · Vol.4 “What superb advocates The Sixteen turn out to be, from the sensitively shaped Kyrie through the firm yet carefully rendered Gloria.” INTERNATIONAL RECORD REVIEW cor16114 Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina · Vol.6 “[The Sixteen] are ardent and energetic … painting and animating the words to vibrant effect.” ***** Performance ***** Recording Choral & Song Choice October 2015, BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE cor16133 Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina · Vol.7 “Christophers moulds this heavenly music with masterly attention to shape, form and nuance.” ***** THE SCOTSMAN cor16155 Giovanni Pierluigi Giovanni da PALESTRINA The Sixteen volume To find out more about The Sixteen, concert tours, and to buy CDs visit cor16175 www.thesixteen.com HARRY CHRISTOPHERS 8 Giovanni Pierluigi da volume is my body: do this in remembrance of me” – alongside some of his settings of texts 8 from the Song of Songs. Palestrina published 29 such settings, which he dedicated to PALESTRINA Pope Gregory XIII. In that dedication, he apologised, and indeed “blushed and grieved”, for possessing light and vain ideas in the past (presumably referring to such music as his hugely popular madrigals on profane texts); and he asserts that he has changed Palestrina’s legacy and impact on sacred music his purpose now by choosing “those poems which have been written of the praises of worldwide is second-to-none. Composers through our Lord Jesus Christ and his Most Holy Mother the Virgin Mary”. Remember that the the centuries have studied and learnt from his gift for Song of Songs comes from that part of the Old Testament which was often considered writing exquisite polyphony. Small wonder then that too sensual and erotic to be read. It was originally Hebrew love poetry, written he has been called not only “the prince and father of down possibly 300 years or so before the birth of Christ, but these are texts which in music” but also “the saviour of church music”. At the Renaissance times were used in praise of the Virgin Mary. final session of the Council of Trent, there were many discussions about the use of polyphony and whether Borggreve Marco Photograph: I have always regarded Palestrina as the master craftsman whose music composers or not it should be banned. In 1607, the composer of all ages have attempted to emulate. He shapes his music in a beautifully sonorous Agostino Agazzari wrote “music of the older kind is no way using a lot of suspensions but always coming back into the line of the music. longer in use because of the confusion and Babel of the However, it is this perfect craftsmanship that can sometimes make Palestrina’s music words.” And he went on to say that this music would sound all too perfect and occasionally academic. We have attempted to achieve real have come very near to being banished from the holy church by a sovereign pontiff ebb and flow in his music, not clipping the ends of phrases but allowing the music to had not Giovanni Palestrina found the remedy. The price of fame for Palestrina was that breathe, to convey the real meaning of the words and making our breaths part of the his legacy was to contain as many myths as facts. music as a whole. There is a wealth of word painting in which to indulge, especially in his Song of Songs motets. Our aim has been to be sensitive to this wonderful poetry Over the next few years, we are going to undertake a series honouring his great art, and inject an energy and beauty to our performances that I hope goes some way to recording much unfamiliar but stunning music from every part of his life, giving a more honour Palestrina as “the celebrated light of music”. accurate picture of his great achievements in music. I hasten to add that we are not endeavouring to record every note Palestrina penned – that would be more than a lifetime’s work considering he wrote 104 Masses! But what we will do is present each volume based around a single Mass, here Missa Fratres ego enim accepi, and a theme relevant to that Mass – in this case Easter and in particular Jesus’ words “Take, eat, this 2 3 Giovanni Pierluigi da volume iovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was, composer), Palestrina was married. In (1525-1594) 8 G during his lifetime, regarded as the June 1547 he had set up house with a PALESTRINA greatest composer of the age and this Lucrezia Gori, by whom he had three sons. reputation has, justifiably, continued to 1 Ego sum panis vivus 6.00 our own time. He was born in the town Unfortunately for Palestrina, personal 2 Fratres ego enim accepi 3.33 of Palestrina which lies about 25 miles tragedy was never far away, for his son south-east of Rome, probably between Rodolfo, born c. 1549, died in 1572; and 3 Accepit Jesus calicem 4.21 February 1525 and February 1526, later Angelo, born c. 1551, passed away in MISSA FRATRES EGO ENIM ACCEPI moving to Rome where he spent the rest 1575, in an influenza epidemic which 4 Kyrie 4.43 of his life in the service of the Church. Like killed maybe 10,000 people. His recently 5 Gloria 4.41 his contemporaries Philippe de Monte at married sister Palma also died suddenly 6 Credo 7.57 the court of Maximilian II in Vienna and in 1564, and his brother Silla in 1573, 7 Sanctus 2.16 Orlande de Lassus in Munich, Palestrina followed in 1581 by two grandchildren 8 Benedictus 2.32 was a prolific composer of music for all by his now-deceased son, Angelo, and 9 Agnus Dei 3.08 the liturgical needs of the Church. Much one by his third son, Iginio. The most bl Caro mea vere est cibus 5.39 of this was published during his lifetime crushing blow, however, had come in the and for 30 or more years after his death, previous August, when the composer’s bm Pater noster 3.59 and it was widely distributed, copies even wife, Lucrezia, had been snatched away bn Sacerdotes Domini 2.37 reaching the Americas. from him in an epidemic. No doubt SONG OF SONGS: nos. 25-27 deeply affected, Palestrina in November bo Quam pulchri sunt gressus tui 3.13 Perhaps unusually for a church musician 1580 petitioned Pope Gregory XIII to be bp Duo ubera tua 3.13 working at the highest level in the Roman ordained into the priesthood, and he bq Quam pulchra es 2.58 Catholic Church, at St John Lateran, at received the tonsure and minor orders in the Cappella Giulia (St Peter’s) and Santa December of that year. br Victimae paschali laudes 3.28 Maria Maggiore, in regular association bs Pange lingua 9.01 with Popes and the Sistine Chapel, also However, surprisingly, and suddenly, in Total Running Time 73.21 appointed Modulator Pontificus (Papal March 1581, Palestrina, like his widowed 4 5 father before him, married for a second (Cappella Giulia). A composer of his stature up to 1625: 12 books of Masses (16 or is reinforced by the fact that most of time. His bride, Virginia Dormoli, was the would undoubtedly have received regular more reprints), seven motet collections the posthumous printing of Palestrina’s widow of the Papal wine and fur merchant commissions for new pieces: indeed we (over 40 reprints) and madrigals, hymns, music was carried out by his son, Iginio Giuliano Guerrazzi, who had died in 1576, know he provided a series of Masses for Lamentations and offertories: could he (who died in 1610). Lassus’ sons too aged 36. As a dowry of 1,500 scudi and an the Mantuan liturgy in 1578, although the have financed some of these himself, were responsible for carrying on the established wine and fur business came size of the payment is not known. wholly or partly? Or was he wholly reliant publication of their father’s work long with the marriage, it seems Palestrina on sponsorship and publishers willing to after his death, mainly with the Magnum might now have been financially secure To give some perspective to these figures, underwrite the costs? The second and Opus Musicum of 1604, which contained for the rest of his life. we know that in 1567 the agents of third books of Masses of 1567 and 1570 over 500 works. We might well conclude Maximillian II offered Palestrina the post were dedicated to Philip II of Spain: one that even after Palestrina’s death, there There were various sources of income, as of maestro at the Imperial Chapel in assumes there was some contribution was still considerable family finance composer and choirmaster. His salary Vienna. Palestrina apparently asked for expected and surely received. In 1594, available to continue publishing the in his first prestigious appointment, 400 scudi per annum: this was thought after the composer’s death, the then Pope, composer’s works. as maestro in the Cappella Giulia in to be excessive, and the post went to Clement VIII, underwrote the publication September 1551, was 120 scudi per Philippe de Monte for 300 scudi plus of the seventh book of Masses to the annum plus 48 scudi for upkeep of two some benefits. We also know that in 1569 tune of 100 scudi, quite a large sum, it The music recorded on this album choirboys. In 1555 he was appointed to Palestrina purchased a house in Rome seems.