Palestrina - The Man, The Music and The Myth

[Ein Heldenleben]

For the second time today I heard the following on R3 - ‘Palestrina saved church music at the Council Of Trent by writing the Missa Papa Marcelli. The council were concerned that church music had become over elaborate and the words of the Mass could not be made out. In the words of Chris Addison on Music Matters in his Mass “ YOU CAN HEAR EVERY WORD “ and thus church music was saved,

Two things
1. although I could make out every word in the Kyrie they played that’s largely because it only has three and I know them. In other sections I can’t .

2. If you were a good Catholic at the time isn’t it likely you’d know all the words . Rather like those singalong Sound Of Music cinema screenings.?

Isn’t it more likely the Cardinals heard the Mass and thought - “ better not ban this it’s an extraordinary of genius” ?

[Pulcinella]

Out of interest, was it the new Stile Antico record you heard?

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9746501--the-golden-renaissance-palestrina

The Wiki article on the mass

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missa_Papae_Marcelli

contains this:

While Palestrina sympathized with many of the Council's decisions, and, like Vincenzo Ruffo, sought deliberately to compose in a simplified, easily understood style to please church officials, there is no evidence to support either the view that the Council sought to banish polyphony entirely or that Palestrina's mass was the deciding factor in changing their minds.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Out of interest, was it the new Stile Antico record you heard?

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9746501--the-golden-renaissance-palestrina

The Wiki article on the mass

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missa_Papae_Marcelli

contains this:

Yes it’s a myth isn’t it? Perhaps the BBC could get their heads together and write a brief so that in this anniversary year we don’t have it mentioned every time his name crops up,

It was the Oxford Camerata with the Kyrie on Music Matters though earlier Stile Antico did sing Sicut Cervus on Saturday Morning which I guess is the new release.

They’ve just played the Kyrie again in Record Review in the new Stile Antico recording.

[Pulcinella]

Yes it’s a myth isn’t it? Perhaps the BBC could get their heads together and write a brief so that in this anniversary year we don’t have it mentioned every time his name crops up,

It was the Oxford Camerata with the Kyrie on Music Matters though earlier Stile Antico did sing Sicut Cervus on Saturday Morning which I guess is the new release.

Snippet just now on Record Review.