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1980-01-05
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People In Music History
Palestrina, Giovanni Pierluigi da (approximately 1525-1594) Italian composer
who took the name Palestrina from his native town, near Rome. Was choirboy and
spent all his musical life in service of the Church, but also proved an able
businessman. Became choirmaster of the Julian Chapel at St. Peter's, Rome, and
a member of the Papal chapel; later held other high positions. Much honored in
his lifetime and described on his coffin as "Prince of Music." After his first
wife died he entered the priesthood, but abandoned it and remarried. Apart from
a few madrigals his works are all Latin church music for unaccompanied choir,
nearly 100 masses (including Missa Papae Marcelli and a mass on L'Homme Arme),
motets, a Stabat Mater, psalms, etc. Posthumous veneration of him led to
various fanciful legends.