Music: n.o. 450-1995
PALESTRINA AND GABRIELI:
THE ITALIANS ARE COMING!
a
Two of the most importantcomposersfrom
the country of ltaly during the Renaissance were
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594) and
Giovanni Gabrieli (1557-1612). These composers typified the music of the high Renaissance and
were each innovators in their own right.
Palestrina responded to the call from the
Catholic church to further reform the music used in
the church. He wrote glorious mass settings
throughout the late 1500s. He composed over 100
masses, 375 motets, and over 90 madrigals. His
compositional style incl uded the multivoiced (poly/'
phonic) techniques of his predecessors that he
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
refined to produce a texture in which all voices
perfectly
were
balanced.
Giovanni Gabrieli was one of the many composers who bridged the Renaissance
and Baroque periods. Gabrieli's most important contributions to music were his use of
multiple choirs placed in different locations in the cathedrals and the use of large forces,
including instruments, in his compositions. Gabrieli was the first composer to indicate
dynamics in his instrumental music. He strove to take full advantage of the dynamic
contrasts that were possible between string and wind groups. He was also a prolific
composer who wrote 94 motets, 7 mass movements, 30 madrigals, and over 100
instrumental solo and ensemble pieces.
The work of these two great composers helped to establish the foundations in music
upon which the composers of the Baroque period would build their musical world.
Activities:
1. Name some important events that were happening in the world at the time of Palestrina
and Gabrieli. You may have to look in an encyclopedia or history book to find some
interesting answers.
2. Sing a round Gabrieli-style. Gather into three groups that are fairly even. Each group
should go to a separate place in the classroom before beginning the round. Sing a song that
most of you will be familiar with, such as "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" or "Frere Jacques."
lndividually, go and stand in the middle of the classroom to listen. While listening in the
middle, does the music sound different to you when you sing in the separate groups rather
than when everyone sings in one, big group?
@
Mark Twain Media, lnc., Publishers
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