RenaissanceGiovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Giovanni came from Palestrina, a small town near Rome: that is why he is called “Palestrina”.
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina’s life
The big moments of this life, and what was happening in the world at the same time.
A life at a glance
- 1525👶 Birth
Born around 1525 in Palestrina, near Rome
- 1537📚 Trainingabout age 12
Choirboy at Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome
- 1543🌍 Meanwhile
Copernicus: the Earth goes round the Sun
- 1544🎩 Careerabout age 19
Organist of Palestrina cathedral
- 1547❤️ Private lifeabout age 22
Marries Lucrezia Gori
- 1551🎩 Careerabout age 26
Master of the Cappella Giulia at St Peter’s, Rome
- 1554🎼 Workabout age 29
First Book of Masses, dedicated to Pope Julius III
- 1555🌍 Meanwhile
Andrea Amati makes the earliest known violins in Cremona (c. 1555)
- 1563🏛️ Landmarkabout age 38
The Council of Trent ends
- 1567🎼 Workabout age 42
Publication of the Pope Marcellus Mass
- 1584🎼 Workabout age 59
Motets on the Song of Songs
- 1594🕯️ Deathabout age 69
Dies in Rome on 2 February
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Excerpts of up to 90 seconds, freely licensed recordings from Wikimedia Commons.
Once upon a time…
Giovanni came from Palestrina, a small town near Rome: that is why he is called “Palestrina”. As a child he sang in a big church in Rome and learned music.
He became head of the choir of St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. He even joined the Pope’s own choir… but was sent away because he was married, and the Pope’s singers had to be single!
In his time some people wanted to ban music in several voices in church, because the words could no longer be understood. Palestrina showed you could make six voices sing and still keep the words clear.
His music is so well balanced that for centuries young composers used it as a model. On his tomb he was called the “Prince of Music”.
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina’s instruments
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