Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c. 1525–1594) was an Italian Renaissance composer of sacred music and the best-known 16th-century representative of the Roman School of musical composition. He had a vast influence on the development of church music, and his work has often been seen as the culmination of Renaissance polyphony. Born in Palestrina, near Rome, he spent most of his career in the city, working primarily at the Julian Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. He was a prolific composer, producing hundreds of compositions over his career, many of which are masses and motets that are still performed today.

His music is characterized by smooth, polished lines that are beautifully harmonized and woven together. This clarity of form and expression made his work widely admired, particularly by the Council of Trent, which sought reform in church music during the Counter-Reformation and favored Palestrina’s style as a model of religious musical purity. As such, Palestrina came to be seen as the savior of Church music and his legacy has endured, influencing countless composers and being studied by generations of musicians. His ideals of clarity and simplicity contributed to a style that epitomized what was seen as the highest achievements of Renaissance polyphony. While the "most recent releases" mentioned reflect modern recordings and collections of his timeless compositions, Palestrina himself lived long before the era of recorded music, and these releases are contemporary interpretations of his historical works.

Genres

Classical

Early Music

Italian Renaissance

Renaissance

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Latest Release

Palestrina, Vol. 9

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina•

The Sixteen•

Harry Christophers

Album - 18 Tracks - Released June 2, 2023