Palestrina: Missa De beata virgine & Missa Ave Maria

Featuring

James O'Donnell
Westminster Cathedral Choir
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

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Compositional Technique

Palestrina based the Masses De beata virgine and Ave Maria on chant melodies, a technique that offered him more freedom than using a polyphonic model.

Composer Biography

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, whose name derives from a town near Rome, was born around 1525 or 1526 and died in 1594.

Composer Biography

Palestrina was dismissed from the Sistine Chapel by Paul IV because of his married status, which was deemed unacceptable.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Palestrina is still considered the grand master of the polyphonic style, and his works were highly regarded and widely published during his lifetime.

Performer Biography

The Choir of Westminster Cathedral has a history of commissioning new music, including Benjamin Britten's Missa brevis for boys' voices.

Performer Biography

The Choir of Westminster Cathedral is recognized as one of the world's great choirs and has been at the forefront of English church music since its foundation in 1903.