PALESTRINA
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PALESTRINA
his parents' farm and that he wa.s licard on 8uch an
occasion by the choir-master of Santa Maria Mappiore,
who. impressed by the boy's beautiful voice and pro-
nounced musical talent, educated him musically. As
to the identity of the choir-master, tradition gives no
clue. Some hold that Palestrina was taught by
Jacques Arcadclt (1514-60), choir-master and com-
poser in Rome from 1539 to 1549. The opinion, so
long held, that Claude Goudimel (1505-72) was his
principal teacher has now been definitively abandoned.
As far as is known, lie began his active musical life as
organist and choir-master in his native city in 1544;
his reputation increasing, in 1551 he was called to
Rome, entrusted with the direction and musical for-
mation of the choir-boys at St. Peter's, and within the
same year was advanced to the post of choir-master.
In 1554 he dedicated to Julius III (1549-55) his first
compositions, a volume of masses for four voices, and
was rewarded with the ap-
pointment as a member of the
papal chapel in contravention
of the rules governing that
body. The pope had set aside
the rule requiring those who
held membership in the papal
choir to be in Holy orders,
and also used his authority to
exempt him from the usually
severe entrance examination.
These circumstances and the
further fact that his voice was
much inferior to those of the
other singers, aroused the op-
position and antagonism of
his fellow-members. The
papal singers did not appre-
ciate the object of the pope,
which was to secure for the
gifted young man the neces-
sary leisure to compose.
In the course of the same year, Palestrina pubhshed a volume of madrigals. The texts of some of these the com- poser himself in later years con- sidered too free. In the dedi- cation of his setting of the Canticle of Canticles to Greg- ory XIII, he expresses not only regret but repentance, for hav- ing caused scandal by this publication. Marcellus II, as cardinal, had pro- tected and admired Palestrina, but died after a reign of only twenty-one days. Paul IV, shortly after his accession, re-inforced the former rules for the govern- ment of the papal choir. B&sides Palestrina, there were two other lay married members in the choir. All were dismi.ssed with a sm.all pension, in spite of the understanding that these singers were engaged for life. The worry and hard.ship caused by the dismissal brought on a severe illness; restored, the composer took charge, 1 October, 1555, of the choir at ,St. John Lateran, where he remained until February, 1.561. During this period he wrote, besides Lamentations and ^lagnificats, the famous "Improperia". Their performance by the papal choir on Good Friday was ordered by Paul IV. and they have remained in its repertoire for Holy Week ever since. This produc- tion greatly increa.sed Pale.strina's fame. In 1,561 he asked the chapter of St. John Lateran for an increase in salary, in view of his growing needs and the expense of publishing his works. Refused, he accepted a similar post at Santa Maria Maggiore, which he held until 1.571. It is not known at what period of his career Palestrina came unrler the influence of St. Philip Xeri, but there is every reason to believe it was in early youth. As the saint's penitent and spiritual
GlOV.^NNI P
After an original in the Vatican
disciple, he gained that insight into the spirit of the
liturgy, which enabled him to set it forth in polyphonic
music as it had never before been done. It was his
spiritual formation even more than his artistic ma-
turity, which fitted him for the providential part he
played in the reform of church music.
The task of hastening the reforms decreed by the Council of Trent was entrusted by Pius IV to a com- mission of eight cardinals. A committee of two of these, St. Charles Borromeo and Vitellozo Vitelli, was appointed to consider certain improvements in the dis- cipUne and administration of the papal choir, and to this end they associated to themselves eight of the choir members. Cardinal Vitelli caused the singers to perform certain compositions in his presence, in order to determine what measures could be taken for the preservation of the integrity and di-stinct declama- tion of the text in compositions in which the voices were interwoven. St. Charles, as chancellor of his uncle, Pius IV, was the patron of Pales- trina, increasing his iiension in 1.565. He celebrated a solemn Mass in presence of the pontiff on 19 June, 15ti5, at which Pal- estrina's great "Missa Papae Marcelli" was sung. These his- torical data are the only dis- coverable basis for the legends, so long repeated by historians, concerning the trial before the cardinals and pope of the cause of polyphonic music, and its vindication by Palestrina, in the composition and performance of three masses, the "Missa Paps Marcelli" among them. Haberl's studies of the archives conclusively demolished these fictions, but their continued repetition for nearly two hun- dred years emphasizes the fact of Palest rina's activity, in- spired by St. Philip and en- couraged by St. Charles, in the reform of church music, an ac- tivity which embraccfi his en- tire career and antedated by some years the disciplinary measures of the church author- Museum ities.
The foundation of his reform is the two principles legitimately deduced from the only references to church music in the Tridentine decrees: (1) the elim- ination of all themes reminiscent of, or resembling, secular music; (2) the rejection of musical forms an<l elaborations tending to mutilate or obscure the litur- gical text. Pius IV created for Palestrina the office of "Composer to the Papal Chapel" with an increased salary. In this office he had only one successor, Felice Anerio. When in 1571 Giovanni Annimuccia, choir- master at St. Peter's, died, Palestrina became his suc- cessor, thus being connected with the papal choir and St. Peter's at the same time. An attempt of his jeal- ous and intriguing colleagues in the papal chapel to have him dismissed by Pius V was unsuccessful. During this year he wrote anumber of motets and liiiidi spiriliiali for the Oratory of St. Philip Neri. Besides the duties of choirmaster at St. Peter's, composer to the papal chapel, director of music at St. Philip's Oratory, he also taught at the school of music of Giovanni Maria Nanini. In addition, Gregory XIII commi.ssioned him to prepare a new version of the Gregorian chant. His exac^t share in this edition, afterwards published under the name of "editio MedicEea" because printed in a press belonging to Cardinal de' Medici, and what was prepared by his pupil Giovanni Guidetti, Felice
