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Giovanni Pierluigi Da Palestrina

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

Birth	1525 or 1526 Palestrina Papal States
Deaths	2 February 1594 Rome Papal States
Principal Activity	Composer , organist , Kapellmeister

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (born in Palestrina (Praeneste) near Rome , in 1525 or 1526 - died on 2 February 1594 in Rome) is a composer Italian.

He is the representative of the Renaissance and the most famous musical composers Catholics. Palestrina had a huge impact on the development of Catholic church music, and his works can be interpreted as a summary of the polyphony of the Renaissance.

Biography

Palestrina is the name of his hometown, near Rome, as he will name. Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina spent most of his life in Rome. The documents in which it is listed as a chorister at St. Mary Major suggest that he visited for the first time the Eternal City in 1537.

He studied with Robin Mallapert and Firmin Lebel. (There is a rumor that Claude Goudimel taught in Palestrina. The rumor dated ^nineteenth century, but according to recent studies, Goudimel never been to Rome).

In 1544 - one thousand five hundred fifty-one , Palestrina was organist of the principal church of his hometown and in his last year became maestro di cappella at the basilica church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.

In 1550 , the bishop of his city was elected pope under the name of Julius III and invited him to follow him to the Holy See, impressed by his first compositions, a book of masses: he was appointed music director of the Basilica St. Peter's in Rome. This is the first book of masses by an Italian composer of strain, most composers of sacred music in Italy at that time from the Netherlands, France or Spain. In fact, his book of masses is inspired by a book of masses by Morales , and prints of the cover are almost the same as those on the book by Spanish musician.

One of the successors of Pope Paul III, Paul IV , requires the resignation of all the singers who have been married or who have written works profane ( madrigals ), which is the case of Palestrina. So he left the Vatican and takes on the musical direction of Saint-Paul-de Lateran, then St. Mary Major. In 1571 , he returned to St. Peter's in Rome and remained there until the end of his life. The year 1570 is difficult on a personal level: he lost his brother, his two son and his wife because of fever (respectively 1572 , 1575 and 1580 ). It then takes the decision at that time to become a priest, but prefers to marry again, this time to a rich widow, which allows some financial independence (he was not very well paid as choirmaster ). It can dial in profusion until his death at the age of 68 years and is then recognized by all musicians of his time. Victor Hugo will regard as the father of all Christian music. He is buried in St. Peter 1594.