Why was Palestrina important for sacred music?

Why was Palestrina important for sacred music?

Known particularly for his masses and motets, he became a model for later composers when writing sacred music. Legend says that Palestrina saved polyphony (music with more than one voice part of equal importance) from condemnation by the church council when he composed his Pope Marcellus Mass.

What is Palestrina best known for?

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was an Italian composer of the Renaissance. He was the most famous 16th century representative of the Roman School of musical composition. Palestrina had a vast influence on the development of Roman Catholic church music, and his work can be seen as a summation of Renaissance polyphony.

What did Palestrina do?

In 1537 he was one of the choirboys at the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where he also studied music between 1537 and 1539. In 1544 Palestrina was engaged as organist and singer in the cathedral of his native town. His duties included playing the organ, helping with the choir, and teaching music.

What does chant mean?

1 : to make melodic sounds with the voice especially : to sing a chant. 2 : to recite something in a monotonous repetitive tone protesters were chanting outside. transitive verb. 1 : to utter as in chanting. 2 : to celebrate or praise in song or chant.

What is the meaning of monophonic?

In music, monophony is the simplest of musical textures, consisting of a melody (or “tune”), typically sung by a single singer or played by a single instrument player (e.g., a flute player) without accompanying harmony or chords. Many folk songs and traditional songs are monophonic.

What is the meaning of polyphonic?

Polyphony, in music, the simultaneous combination of two or more tones or melodic lines (the term derives from the Greek word for “many sounds”). Thus, even a single interval made up of two simultaneous tones or a chord of three simultaneous tones is rudimentarily polyphonic.